Sustainable Valorization of Forest Biomass: Wood Extractives, Nanocellulose and Functional Bio-Based Materials
A Special Issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907) belonging to the section "Wood Science and Forest Products".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 February 2027 | Viewed by 93
Editors
Interests: chemistry of wood; nanocellulose; extractives; biopolymers; polymer chemistry; composites; spectroscopy; chromatography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: tree biomass; wood and bark extractives; natural durability of wood; inhibition of fungal growth; bioactive compounds; value-adding compounds; analytical methods; extraction methods; chromatography; bio-based antifungal/antimicrobial/antioxidant agents
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The transition toward a circular bioeconomy requires the efficient and sustainable valorization of forest biomass, including low-value wood, bark, knots, residues and other lignocellulosic side streams. These renewable resources represent valuable sources of both structural biopolymers and bioactive compounds that can be converted into advanced functional materials. This Special Issue aims to highlight recent progress in the isolation, characterization, modification and application of wood-derived components, with particular emphasis on cellulose nanofibrils, lignocellulose nanofibrils, TEMPO-oxidized nanocellulose, lignin-based materials and wood extractives.
Contributions addressing the incorporation of these components into bio-based polymers, composites, coatings, films, membranes, hydrogels, aerogels and other functional systems are particularly welcome. Potential applications include sustainable packaging, water purification and filtration, adsorption of emerging pollutants, antimicrobial and antioxidant materials, barrier coatings, biomedical or food-related products and other high-value uses. Studies dealing with extraction technologies, surface modification, structure–property relationships, processing, performance evaluation, scalability and environmental impact are also encouraged.
By bringing together fundamental and applied research, this Special Issue seeks to demonstrate how forest biomass can be transformed into innovative materials and products with improved functionality, reduced environmental impact and strong potential for industrial implementation. Life-cycle assessment and cascading-use strategies are likewise relevant to the scope of this collection.
Dr. Ida Poljansek
Dr. Viljem Vek
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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
- forest biomass valorization
- wood extractives
- nanofibrillated cellulose
- bio-based polymers
- functional materials
- sustainable packaging
- water filtration
- circular bioeconomy
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
