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Green Chemistry Strategies for Biomass Valorization

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 718

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: sustainable process engineering; downstream processing and separations; biomass valorisation and biorefineries; circular materials and process design; green separation technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Center for Development, Demonstration and Training for Carbon-Free Technologies, National Institute of Chemistry, Loke pri Zagorju 14b, 1412 Kisovec, Slovenia
Interests: material characterisation; advanced materials; waste valorisation; circular bioeconomy; hydrogels; bioprocesses; chemical engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The urgent need to transition from fossil-based resources to renewable feedstocks has positioned biomass valorization at the center of sustainable chemistry. Green chemistry strategies are essential to unlock the potential of diverse biomass streams, ranging from agricultural and forestry residues to marine and food industry by-products, and to transform them into high-added value chemicals, materials, bio-based products, and bioenergy.

This Special Issue, "Green Chemistry Strategies for Biomass Valorization", welcomes contributions that highlight innovative, efficient, and environmentally benign approaches for biomass processing and conversion. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Design and application of green solvents (e.g., deep eutectic solvents, ionic liquids, and biosolvents) for extraction and fractionation;
  • Biocatalytic and chemo-catalytic routes for the production of bio-based chemicals, materials, and energy;
  • Separation and product recovery/purification;
  • Advanced separation and downstream processing technologies;
  • Novel functionality of extracts and novel materials obtained from extraction residues;
  • Sustainability evaluation of biomass-derived processes.

By bringing together cutting-edge research in chemistry, chemical engineering, and biotechnology, this Special Issue aims to provide a platform for the dissemination of novel methodologies and technologies that advance the sustainable valorization of biomass within the principles of green chemistry. Contributions in the form of original research articles, short communications, and critical reviews are highly encouraged.

Dr. Filipa A. Vicente
Dr. Ilja Gasan Osojnik Črnivec
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • green chemistry
  • biomass valorization
  • green solvents
  • biocatalysis
  • sustainable processes
  • sustainability metrics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 1746 KB  
Article
Bioconversion of Organosolv Lignin by Rumen Bacterium: Isolation, Characterization and Metabolic Profiling
by Jéssica Pinheiro Silva, Jailson Novaes de Miranda, Sofia Chacon Prates Uchoa, Artur Carvalho Stranz, Rosália Loriano de Santana, Pedro Ricardo Vieira Hamann, Alonso R. Poma Ticona, Thomas Christopher Rhys Williams, Fernando Araripe Gonçalves Torres, Roberto Castellanos and Eliane Ferreira Noronha
Molecules 2026, 31(5), 903; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31050903 - 9 Mar 2026
Viewed by 464
Abstract
Residual lignin generated by pulp, paper, and biorefining industries is commonly burned for energy, despite its potential as a renewable source of aromatic compounds. Studies focusing on microbial lignin degradation contribute to lignin valorization and represent a sustainable strategy to enhance biomass circularity. [...] Read more.
Residual lignin generated by pulp, paper, and biorefining industries is commonly burned for energy, despite its potential as a renewable source of aromatic compounds. Studies focusing on microbial lignin degradation contribute to lignin valorization and represent a sustainable strategy to enhance biomass circularity. Here, we report the isolation of Klebsiella sp. IL2_9 from a ruminal consortium and demonstrate its ability to degrade and metabolize organosolv lignin. After 24 h of cultivation, the strain removed 22% of the initial lignin content. FTIR analysis revealed alterations in functional groups associated with guaiacyl and syringyl units, indicating structural modification of the polymer. GC–MS analyses further showed the consumption of lignin-derived aromatics, including vanillin, 2-aminobenzoic acid, and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, along with the formation of vanillyl alcohol and phenyllactic acid derivatives. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of Klebsiella sp. IL2_9 as a promising biotechnological candidate for lignin valorization under anaerobic conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Chemistry Strategies for Biomass Valorization)
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