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Synthesis, Optimization, and Reuse of Sustainable Bio-Based Materials

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2024) | Viewed by 11659

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Zhongmin Wang

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Guest Editor

Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
Interests: new energy materials and technologies; biomass functional materials

Prof. Dr. Guiyin Li

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Guest Editor

College of Chemistry, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Guandu Road, Maoming 525000, China
Interests: molecular design and synthesis of functional biomaterials; novel biodegradable polymers for drug/gene delivery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The reflection of the deteriorating condition of the natural environment is the constantly growing the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. To prevent further climate warming, the Paris Agreement was adopted during the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21); the main aim was to counteract a further increase in the average temperature on Earth and limit it to 1.5 °C. However, a comprehensive approach to environmental protection is necessary to achieve the goals set out above. One of the main strategies to contain global warming is the bottom-up approach, focusing on the application of renewable resources to avoid preparing emerging products using the substrates generated from fossil fuels. However, it is also necessary to implement a top-down approach as well, focusing on the utilization of renewable bio-based matrices (which are considered CO₂-neutral). Consequently, the application of bio-based materials appears to be a promising solution in order to overcome issues of environmental deterioration and help reduce the overall carbon footprint generated by the chemical industry.

Therefore, for this Special Issue, we would like to invite researchers to submit original research works as well as review articles focused on the synthesis, modification, optimization, and reuse of bio-based materials. The biorefining of lignocellulosic materials to obtain useful fine chemicals is within the scope of this Special Issue as well. Moreover, research centred around applications of such bio-based, advanced materials will also be appreciated.

Prof. Dr. Zhongmin Wang
Prof. Dr. Guiyin Li
Guest Editors

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Keywords

biomaterials
transformation of biomaterials
green chemistry
sustainable materials
biocomposite
biorefinery
biocommodities
life cycle assessment

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 19045 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determination of the Critical Voltage for the Observation of Uncoated Wood Samples in Electron Microscopy

by Monika Sarvašová Kvietková, Ondřej Dvořák, Kryštof Kubista, Kristýna Těhníková, Chia-Feng Lin and Dennis Jones

Materials 2025, 18(2), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18020236 - 8 Jan 2025

Viewed by 271

Abstract

Electron microscopy (EM) is a key tool for studying the microstructure of wood; however, observing uncoated samples poses a challenge due to surface charging. This study aims to identify the critical voltage that allows for the effective observation of uncoated wood samples without significant loading. As part of the experiment, samples of different wood species were tested, including Acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), Oak (Quercus robur L.), Maple (Acer pseudoplatanus spp.), Ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), Spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), Thermowood (Thermal modifed Spruce), Garapa (Apuleia leiocarpa), Ipé (Handroanthus spp.), Merbau (Intsia bijuga), and Massaranduba (Manilkara spp.). Several methods were tested for surface preparation for SEM analysis, including the use of a circular saw, a hand milling machine, and a microtome. The results show that the optimal voltage for observing uncoated wood samples varied depending on the wood species. Regarding the selection of wood species and the results obtained, it was found that uncoated samples could be effectively observed. This finding suggests that practical observations can be accelerated and more cost-effective, as all wood species exhibited the required voltage range of 1 kV to 1.6 kV. Additionally, it was determined that using a secondary electron detector was optimal for such observations, as it provided a sufficiently strong signal even at relatively low voltages. Conversely, when using a backscattered electron detector, it was more beneficial to use coated samples to achieve a sufficient signal at higher voltages. This study brings new knowledge that will facilitate further research and applications of electron microscopy in the study of other wood species or wood-based materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Optimization, and Reuse of Sustainable Bio-Based Materials)

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20 pages, 4820 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical Performance of Rotationally Molded Multilayer mLDPE/Banana-Fiber Composites

by Jake Kelly-Walley, Zaida Ortega, Mark McCourt, Bronagh Millar, Luis Suárez and Peter Martin

Materials 2023, 16(20), 6749; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16206749 - 18 Oct 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1625

Abstract

The incorporation of materials different from the polymer within the rotational molding process usually results in lowered mechanical properties, where impact strength is of particular concern. In order to overcome this issue, multilayer structures of virgin polyethylene (PE) and banana fiber composites were prepared to determine the impact of the different layers on the performance of the final part. Cycle time has been studied to identify the influence of the addition of fibers in the process. The tensile, flexural and impact properties have been analyzed, finding improvements in Young’s modulus of up to 13%, although at the expense of significant decreases in impact strength. A reduction in the fiber size due to the pulverization process was observed, which affected the rheological and mechanical behavior of the composite. The beneficial effects of working in multiple layers have been demonstrated in this work, where composites with up to 5% of banana fiber have been produced in two-layer structures. Finally, the need to add neat polyethylene in the external layer is also highlighted as a way to counteract the reductions in mechanical properties, particularly for flexural elastic modulus and tensile strength, and this also helps with the drop in impact behavior to a lower extent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Optimization, and Reuse of Sustainable Bio-Based Materials)

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21 pages, 3356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Modifying Canadian Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) Biomass with Ammonia and Epichlorohydrin on the Sorption Efficiency of Anionic Dyes from Water Solutions

by Karolina Paczyńska, Tomasz Jóźwiak and Urszula Filipkowska

Materials 2023, 16(13), 4586; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16134586 - 25 Jun 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1171

Abstract

This study examined the effect of modifying Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) biomass on its sorption capacity of Reactive Black 5 (RB5) and Reactive Yellow 84 anionic dyes. The scope of the research included the characteristics of sorbents (FTIR, elementary analysis, pH_PZC), the effect of pH on dye sorption efficiency, sorption kinetics, and the maximum sorption capacity (describing the data with Langmuir 1 and 2 and Freundlich models). FTIR analyses showed the appearance of amine functional groups in the materials modified with ammonia water, which is indicative of the sorbent amination process. The amination efficiency was higher in the case of materials pre-activated with epichlorohydrin, which was confirmed by elemental analysis and pH_PZC values. The sorption efficiency of RB5 and RY84 on the tested sorbents was the highest in the pH range of 2–3. The sorption capacity of the goldenrod biomass pre-activated with epichlorohydrin and then aminated with ammonia water was 71.30 mg/g and 59.29 mg/g in the case of RB5 and RY84, respectively, and was higher by 2970% and 2510%, respectively, compared to the unmodified biomass. Amination of biomass pre-activated with epichlorohydrin can increase its sorption capacity, even by several dozen times. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Optimization, and Reuse of Sustainable Bio-Based Materials)

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15 pages, 2101 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Efficient Electrochemical Biosensor to Determine 1,5-Anhydroglucitol with Persimmon-Tannin-Reduced Graphene Oxide-PtPd Nanocomposites

by Guiyin Li, Zhide Zhou, Zhongmin Wang, Shiwei Chen, Jintao Liang, Xiaoqing Yao and Liuxun Li

Materials 2023, 16(7), 2786; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16072786 - 30 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2029

Abstract

1,5-Anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) is a sensitive biomarker for real-time detection of diabetes mellitus. In this study, an electrochemical biosensor to specifically detect 1,5-AG levels based on persimmon-tannin-reduced graphene oxide-PtPd nanocomposites (PT-rGO-PtPd NCs), which were modified onto the surface of a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE), was designed. The PT-rGO-PtPd NCs were prepared by using PT as the film-forming material and ascorbic acid as the reducing agent. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy analysis were used to characterise the newly synthesised materials. PT-rGO-PtPd NCs present a synergistic effect not only to increase the active surface area to bio-capture more targets, but also to exhibit electrocatalytic efficiency to catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). A sensitive layer is formed by pyranose oxidase (PROD) attached to the surface of PT-rGO-PtPd NC/SPCE. In the presence of 1,5-AG, PROD catalyzes the oxidization of 1,5-AG to generate 1,5-anhydrofuctose (1,5-AF) and H₂O₂ which can be decomposed into H₂O under the synergistic catalysis of PT-rGO-PtPd NCs. The redox reaction between PT and its oxidative product (quinones, PTox) can be enhanced simultaneously by PT-rGO-PtPd NCs, and the current signal was recorded by the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method. Under optimal conditions, our biosensor shows a wide range (0.1–2.0 mg/mL) for 1,5-AG detection with a detection limit of 30 μg/mL (S/N = 3). Moreover, our electrochemical biosensor exhibits acceptable applicability with recoveries from 99.80 to 106.80%. In summary, our study provides an electrochemical method for the determination of 1,5-AG with simple procedures, lower costs, good reproducibility, and acceptable stability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Optimization, and Reuse of Sustainable Bio-Based Materials)

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17 pages, 12522 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Porous Thermoplastic Molded Regenerated Silk Crosslinked by the Addition of Citric Acid

by Alessio Bucciarelli, Nicola Vighi, Alessandra Maria Bossi, Brunella Grigolo and Devid Maniglio

Materials 2023, 16(4), 1535; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041535 - 12 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2277

Abstract

Thermoplastic molded regenerated silk fibroin was proposed as a structural material in tissue engineering applications, mainly for application in bone. The protocol allows us to obtain a compact non-porous material with a compression modulus in the order of a Giga Pascal in dry conditions (and in the order of tens of MPa in wet conditions). This material is produced by compressing a lyophilized silk fibroin powder or sponge into a mold temperature higher than the glass transition temperature. The main purpose of the produced resin was the osteofixation and other structural applications in which the lack of porosity was not an issue. In this work, we introduced the use of citric acid in the thermoplastic molding protocol of silk fibroin to obtain porosity inside the structural material. The citric acid powder during the compression acted as a template for the pore formation. The mean pore diameter achieved by the addition of the higher amount of citric acid was around 5 μm. In addition, citric acid could effectively crosslink the silk fibroin chain, improving its mechanical strength. This effect was proved both by evaluating the compression modulus (the highest value recorded was 77 MPa in wet conditions) and by studying the spectra obtained by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. This protocol may be applied in the near future to the production of structural bone scaffolds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Optimization, and Reuse of Sustainable Bio-Based Materials)

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9 pages, 1885 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Computational Analysis on Antioxidant Activity of Four Characteristic Structural Units from Persimmon Tannin

by Zhongmin Wang, Zhigao Liu, Chenxi Wu, Songlin Liu, Dianhui Wang, Chaohao Hu, Tao Chen, Zhaojin Ran, Weijiang Gan and Guiyin Li

Materials 2023, 16(1), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010320 - 29 Dec 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1705

Abstract

Antioxidants are molecules that can prevent the harmful effects of oxygen, help capture and neutralize free radicals, and thus eliminate the damage of free radicals to the human body. Persimmon tannin (PT) has excellent antioxidant activity, which is closely related to its molecular structure. We report here a comparative study of four characteristic structural units from PT (epicatechin gallate (ECG), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), A−type linked ECG dimer (A−ECG dimer), A−type linked EGCG dimer (A−EGCG dimer)) to explore the structure–activity relationship by using the density functional theory. Based on the antioxidation mechanism of hydrogen atom transfer, the most favorable active site for each molecule exerts antioxidant activity is determined. The structural parameters, molecular electrostatic potential, and frontier molecular orbital indicate that the key active sites are located on the phenolic hydroxyl group of the B ring for ECG and EGCG monomers, and the key active sites of the two dimers are located on the phenolic hydroxyl groups of the A and D’ rings. The natural bond orbital and bond dissociation energy of the phenolic hydroxyl hydrogen atom show that the C₁₁−OH in the ECG monomer and the C₁₂−OH in the EGCG monomer are the most preferential sites, respectively. The most active site of the two A−linked dimers is likely located on the D’ ring C_20′ phenolic hydroxyl group. Based on computational analysis of quantum chemical parameters, the A−ECG dimer is a more potent antioxidant than the A−EGCG dimer, ECG, and EGCG. This computational analysis provides the structure–activity relationship of the four characteristic units which will contribute to the development of the application of PT antioxidants in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Optimization, and Reuse of Sustainable Bio-Based Materials)

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15 pages, 2456 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Computational and Experimental Investigation of the Selective Adsorption of Indium/Iron Ions by the Epigallocatechin Gallate Monomer

by Zhigao Liu, Zhongmin Wang, Weijiang Gan, Songlin Liu, Jianglin Zhang, Zhaojin Ran, Chenxi Wu, Chaohao Hu, Dianhui Wang, Tao Chen and Guiyin Li

Materials 2022, 15(22), 8251; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15228251 - 21 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1773

Abstract

Selective recovery of indium has been widely studied to improve the resource efficiency of critical metals. However, the interaction and selective adsorption mechanism of indium/iron ions with tannin-based adsorbents is still unclear and hinders further optimization of their selective adsorption performance. In this study, the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) monomer, which is the key functional unit of persimmon tannin, was chosen to explore the ability and mechanism of selective separation/extraction of indium from indium–iron mixture solutions. The density functional theory calculation results indicated that the deprotonated EGCG was easier to combine with indium/iron cations than those of un-deprotonated EGCG. Moreover, the interaction of the EGCG–Fe(III) complex was dominated by chelation and electrostatic interaction, while that of the EGCG–In(III) complex was controlled by electrostatic interactions and aromatic ring stacking effects. Furthermore, the calculation of binding energy verified that EGCG exhibited a stronger affinity for Fe(III) than that for In(III) and preferentially adsorbed iron ions in acidic or neutral solutions. Further experimental results were consistent with the theoretical study, which showed that the Freundlich equilibrium isotherm fit the In(III) and Fe(III) adsorption behavior very well, and the Fe(III) adsorption processes followed a pseudo-second-order model. Thermodynamics data revealed that the adsorption of In(III) and Fe(III) onto EGCG was feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic. The adsorption rate of the EGCG monomer for Fe(III) in neutral solution (1:1 mixed solution, pH = 3.0) was 45.7%, 4.3 times that of In(III) (10.7%). This study provides an in-depth understanding of the relationship between the structure of EGCG and the selective adsorption capacity at the molecular level and provides theoretical guidance for further optimization of the selective adsorption performance of structurally similar tannin-based adsorbents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Optimization, and Reuse of Sustainable Bio-Based Materials)

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