Polymers from Renewable Resources for Packaging and Biomedical Applications: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 1

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Interests: polymer design; polymer synthesis and characterization; polymer modification; copolymerization; solid state properties; thermal properties and crystallization kinetics; mechanical characterization; bio-based monomers; bio-based polymers; nano-polymer; nanocomposites; gas barrier behaviour; polymer compostability; biopolymers for engineering tissue; polymeric for controlled drug delivery; biodegradation
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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
Interests: polyesters; synthesis; chemical modification; thermal properties; mechanical properties; barrier properties; biodegradability; food packaging; active packaging; diffusion; permeability; bio-based and biodegradable polymers; polymers from waste; nanocomposites; biocomposites; life cycle assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering Department, University of Bologna, Via Terracini 28, 40131 Bologna, Italy
Interests: Synthesis and characterization of bio-based and biodegradable polymers for packaging applications and biomedicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is widely known that polymers are versatile substances that offer customized solutions for a wide variety of applications and sectors, such as packaging, building, automotive, electronics, sports, agriculture, and medicine. Plastics, thanks to their light weight, durability, easy processability, low cost, and good thermomechanical properties, are produced in large volumes. However, limitations relating to littering and end-of-life options for some kinds of plastic wastes must be overcome in view of achieving a circular and efficient economy. Overcoming this challenge would also allow plastics to play a crucial role in delivering a more sustainable future.

Packaging represents the largest application field of plastics and is responsible for the highest volume of waste production. Even if recycling is the preferred option, it is not possible for the multilayered structures that are used commercially to guarantee smart barriers and mechanical performances. Thus, the development of novel monomaterials suitable for recycling is strongly encouraged.

Another growing market of great importance in everyday life is that of health, in particular in fields such as regenerative medicine and pharmacology with the fabrication of controlled drug delivery systems. The use of polymeric supports to favor cell and tissue regeneration can represent a valid alternative to conventional drug therapies or transplants, overcoming their drawbacks in terms of rejection and non-effectiveness, thus supporting correct cell growth.

Bioplastics, and in particular biopolyesters, represent a valid alternative in all these fields of applications, as they can simultaneously satisfy the requirements of biodegradability and biocompatibility within the environment in which they are disposed and the release of non-toxic degradation products, thus avoiding dependence on non-renewable sources.

This Special Issue will offer the academic and industrial worlds the opportunity to present overviews of novel sustainable materials for packaging and biomedical applications.

Research papers, as well as reviews, are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Nadia Lotti
Dr. Valentina Siracusa
Dr. Giulia Guidotti
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Polymers 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

  • biopolymers
  • renewable resources
  • biodegradability
  • biocompatibility
  • barrier properties
  • mechanical properties

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