Biobased Compounds: Synthesis and Uses

Dear Colleagues,

One of the great challenges of this century involves the transition from fossil-fuel-based feedstocks towards the exploitation of renewable and bio-based sources. Increasing the supply of renewable energy would allow us to replace carbon-intensive energy sources and significantly reduce global warming emissions, ozone depletion, and the adverse effects of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions on the environment.

In this scenario, the search for alternatives to oil-derived products has been intensified. A topic recently discussed in both academic and industrial chemistry is the selective conversion of raw materials derived from biomass into fine chemicals of interest. Notably, the production of oxygenated or functionally complex molecules from biomass may be more economically viable than from hydrocarbons and result in net greener processes over the conventional.

The task is not easy. Using biomass is an extremely delicate operation since the interaction with the food production and structure of ecosystems is extremely tied. Moreover, the quantities of traditional biomass available are limited: the intent to access sources of alternative materials, such as waste and lignocellulosic residues, for example, is driving the transition from first-generation technologies to what we can call second- and third-generation technologies, exploiting materials that, due to their composition and origin (in some cases otherwise unusable) cannot be used in other sectors and are suitable for the recovery of renewable resources. This possibility strongly highlights the pivotal role of chemistry in the production of biofuels and biomaterials. The importance of supporting sustainable chemistry is, indeed, becoming increasingly clear.

We invite original papers, communications, and reviews on sustainable chemical technologies and processes for biomass characterization and fractionation, biomass exploitation for energy and fuels, biomass valorization as a source for bio-based platforms, and biobased molecules as starting materials for fine chemicals and polymers synthesis.

Prof. Dr. Manuela Oliverio
Guest Editor

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• biomass
• biobased compounds
• sustainability
• green chemistry
• green solvents
• green technologies