Performance Enhancement and Sustainable Application of Cellulose
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2023) | Viewed by 4664
Special Issue Editors
Interests: fiber science, functionalization of cellulose fibers; cellulose dissolution and regeneration; surface chemistry; bioactive fibers; medical textiles
Interests: cellulose-based adsorbents; wastewater treatment; waste valorization as adsorbents; adsorption of heavy metal ions and organic dyes onto lignocellulosic and cellulose-based waste; circular economy concept for textile waste
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In the recent decade, due to the continuous growth of the population and economic development of human society linked with increasing demands in fuels, raw chemicals, and materials, demand for abundant and sustainable feedstocks is continuously increasing as well. Since plants can produce more than 1.5 × 1012 tons of cellulose every year, cellulose has gained worldwide attention from both industry and academia. Among traditional applications in the textile and paper industry, cellulose is used as starting materials in packaging materials, promising bio-based fillers, versatile light-weight construction materials, sorbents in water treatment, UV radiation shielding, wound dressing and self-cleaning textiles, selective nanostructured membranes and thin films, high-performance composites, electronics, fuel cells, cell-based sensors, vascular grafts, drug delivery, bio-inspired mechanically adaptive materials, etc. The advantages of cellulose in such applications include, besides a relative abundance and the availability from renewable resources, low density, high mechanical properties, good reactivity of hydroxyl groups and easy adjustment/tailoring of surface/bulk properties, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, recyclability, and biodegradability. However, cellulose-based materials have several disadvantages related to their poor barrier to water vapor and oxygen, low compatibility with hydrophobic materials, and flammability. Nevertheless, these disadvantages can be minimized by combining cellulose with different biopolymers and inorganic particles or by its chemical modifications.
The present Special Issue is dedicated to the performance enhancement of cellulose and cellulose-based materials, whose usage will improve sustainability by reducing waste and toxic emissions, leading to a greener and cleaner environment. Special emphasis can be put on the functionalization, characterization, and structure-properties relationship to achieve appropriate physical forms and properties for targeted applications and functionalities. Studies concerning the sustainable use of biomass targeting the idea of converting the linear path of materials (extraction, use, disposal in landfill) to a circular material flow that reuses materials as much as possible, are also welcomed.
It is our pleasure to invite academics and experts from the industry to submit a manuscript for this Special issue. We aim to present original articles, short communications, and reviews on topics related to performance enhancement and sustainable application of cellulose.
Prof. Dr. Mirjana Kostic
Dr. Aleksandra Ivanovska
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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
- cellulose natural fibers
- regenerated cellulose fibers and films
- cellulose nanocrystals, nano- and microfibrillated cellulose
- cellulose functionalization
- cellulose-derived materials
- agro-industrial byproduct and waste as a source of cellulose and nanocellulose
- green composites/ nanocomposites/materials
- advanced carbon materials
- cellulose-based sorbents for different organic and inorganic pollutants
- revalorization of cellulose-based sorbents with adsorbed pollutants
- active and intelligent food packaging
- materials for biomedical applications
- sustainable cellulose-based material processing
- recycling and recovery
- materials circularity, circular economy
