Sustainable Polymer Chemistry and Processing

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Circular and Green Polymer Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 221

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Departamento de Ciencias Químicas, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco (IQUIMEFA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Interests: biopolymers; nanocomposites; sustainable; polysaccharide; protein
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Guest Editor
1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, Spain
2. Instituto Tecnológico de Química y Materiales “Álvaro Alonso Barba”, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, Spain
Interests: upcycling; biomass; green chemistry; biofibers; plastic

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymeric materials are an integral part of almost every aspect of modern life. Advances in polymer chemistry and processing have achieved a remarkably advanced state, enabling the precise manipulation of polymers and their precursors to develop high-performance materials.

However, the majority of these materials rely on fossil fuel-based polymers, which are non-renewable and mostly non-biodegradable or non-compostable. Additionally, polymer processing to achieve optimal materials often involves toxic solvents, high-cost technologies, or significant water and energy consumption, making their life cycles environmentally inefficient.

Given the growing demand for high-performing polymers, alongside the need for more environmentally friendly materials and processes, considerable efforts have been devoted to discovering sustainable polymers, recycling used materials, and transitioning toward greener processes.

This Special Issue aims to encourage reporting on new sustainable polymers and processes as drivers of environmentally friendly advancements, showcasing their capacity to transform polymer processing, usage, and end-of-life management. By highlighting these developments, we seek to pave the way for the creation of sustainable methodologies and materials, fostering a greener future in polymer science.

Dr. Guillermo Javier Copello
Dr. Jonas Jose Perez Bravo
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • sustainable materials
  • green chemistry
  • biopolymers
  • biocomposites
  • upcycling
  • environmentally friendly
  • renewable
  • biodegradable
  • compostable

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 4873 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of NADES for Pectin Films Reinforced with Oxalic Acid-Modified Chitin Nanowhiskers
by Andrea Mathilde Mebert, Cynthia Melisa Melian-Queirolo, Maria Fernanda Hamet, Guillermo Javier Copello and Andrea Gomez-Zavaglia
Polymers 2025, 17(5), 572; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17050572 - 21 Feb 2025
Abstract
The effect of three NADESs as pectin film plasticizers was evaluated at 10%, 30%, and 50% w/w by using the casting method. Two hydrophilic (choline chloride with glycerol or citric acid) and one hydrophobic (thymol–camphor) NADESs were used as replacement for [...] Read more.
The effect of three NADESs as pectin film plasticizers was evaluated at 10%, 30%, and 50% w/w by using the casting method. Two hydrophilic (choline chloride with glycerol or citric acid) and one hydrophobic (thymol–camphor) NADESs were used as replacement for glycerol. Oxalic acid-modified chitin nanowhiskers (oCNWs) at 1% w/w were used to evaluate the effect of the NADESs on the nanofiller. The resulting films using the hydrophobic NADES were difficult to handle and prone to cracking and performed similarly to or worse than pure pectin films. As a result, they were not further evaluated. In contrast, the hydrophilic ones showed characteristics comparable to glycerol. It was found that films containing glycerol and choline chloride–glycerol NADESs showed a decrease in opacity and tensile strength and an increase in WVP, Young’s modulus, and maximum elongation. In contrast, those that contained citric acid exhibited a different behavior: opacity was less affected, and a decrease in WVP and an increase in tensile strength and Young’s modulus (at 10% and 30% plasticizer) were found. oCNWs tended to decrease WVP and increase Young’s modulus but not in a very significant way. Our findings demonstrate that NADESs can be used as plasticizers in pectin films without the need to include glycerol and that the nature of NADESs is relevant to tuning the final properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Polymer Chemistry and Processing)
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