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Isolation, Characterization and Application of Lignin
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Isolation, Characterization and Application of Lignin

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2025) | Viewed by 3453

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Edita Jasiukaitytė-Grojzdek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: tailored lignin isolation; lignocellulosic biomass and lignin fractionation; lignin characterization; lignin structure-reactivity correlation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the years, lignin has become an interesting and attractive biopolymer for academic and industrial communities. Lignin is the second most abundant biopolymer on Earth, and it is potentially able to substitute a wide range of materials derived from fossil sources. Moreover, lignin can also be a source of platform aromatic chemicals. Lignin-based materials and chemicals have applications in several sectors, such as construction, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and food and drink manufacturing. However, lignin requires being isolated and transformed into valuable materials using green technologies in order to achieve sustainable development in the optic of the circular economy. Moreover, lignin is a heterogenous polymer that requires specific analytical techniques for its characterization.

This Special Issue focuses on providing an overview of the current scientific progress in the isolation, characterization and application of lignin, with a particular interest in sustainable technologies and methodologies. This Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following aspects:

  • Biorefinery concept;
  • Lignin extraction and isolation from biomasses;
  • Characterization of lignin and lignin-derived compounds;
  • Applications of lignin and lignin-based products;
  • Studies on lignin-based materials recyclability and biodegradability.

Thus, we are delighted to invite you to submit your work for this Special Issue. Topics related to both original and reviewed articles are welcome.

Dr. Edita Jasiukaitytė-Grojzdek
Guest Editor

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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

  • lignin
  • lignocellulose
  • renewable resources
  • biomass fractionation
  • lignin isolation
  • lignin fractionation
  • lignin valorization
  • biomaterials
  • biocomposites
  • biorefinery concept

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1491 KiB  
Article
Effects of Chlortetracycline on Lignin Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana
by Aaron Newborn, Ayesha Karamat and Benoit Van Aken
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(5), 2288; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26052288 - 4 Mar 2025
Viewed by 245
Abstract
Feedstock plants for biofuel production can be cultivated on polluted sites that are unsuitable for edible crop production. This approach combines environmental restoration and renewable energy production, therefore enhancing the economic viability of plant-derived biofuels. Previous studies have indicated that exposure to environmental [...] Read more.
Feedstock plants for biofuel production can be cultivated on polluted sites that are unsuitable for edible crop production. This approach combines environmental restoration and renewable energy production, therefore enhancing the economic viability of plant-derived biofuels. Previous studies have indicated that exposure to environmental pollutants may elevate lignin levels in exposed plants, potentially impacting the biomass digestibility and the efficiency of bioethanol conversion. In this study, we investigated the impact of the antimicrobial agent chlortetracycline on lignin biosynthesis in the reference organism Arabidopsis thaliana. Toxicity testing showed that exposure to chlortetracycline significantly reduced plant growth at concentrations above 2.5 mg L−1. Using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, we observed a significant increase in the lignin signature, ranging from 16 to 40%, in plants exposed to chlortetracycline as compared to non-exposed control plants. Transcriptomic analysis (RNA sequencing) was conducted to determine the molecular basis of plant response to chlortetracycline, revealing significant enrichment of several genes involved in lignin biosynthesis and the phenylpropanoid pathway, including cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase and peroxidases. Exposure to chlortetracycline also resulted in the overexpression of genes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotic compounds, including cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, glutathione S-transferases, and glycosyltransferases. Chlortetracycline also induced several genes involved in plant response to stress and defense mechanisms, including transcription factors (e.g., WRKY, MYB, AP2/ERF families), pathogenesis-related proteins, and genes involved in stress signaling. These results suggest that the antibiotic chlortetracycline triggers multiple stress responses in A. thaliana, which may cause changes in lignin biosynthesis, reductions in plant growth, increases in the lignin content, and induction of defense metabolic pathways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Isolation, Characterization and Application of Lignin)
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14 pages, 3533 KiB  
Article
Mechanism, Kinetics and Modelling of Phenol Carboxylation Reactions with CO2
by Aleksa Kojčinović, Blaž Likozar and Miha Grilc
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(23), 12923; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252312923 - 1 Dec 2024
Viewed by 921
Abstract
Combining carboxylation reactions using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a reactant with phenol results in creation of new C-C bonds, and represents one of the most promising routes in sustainable utilization of ubiquitous and readily available resources for production of highly valuable [...] Read more.
Combining carboxylation reactions using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a reactant with phenol results in creation of new C-C bonds, and represents one of the most promising routes in sustainable utilization of ubiquitous and readily available resources for production of highly valuable products. This study provides a detailed and well-structured investigation of the effect of various reaction conditions (reactant loading, reaction duration, temperature, CO2 pressure) on the carboxylation of phenol. Sodium phenoxide carboxylation showed well-resolved trends with variation of temperature and time, and resulted in production of salicylic acid (SA) in the range of 11.4 to 47.8%, 4-hydoxybenzoic acid (4HBA) in the range of 2.0 to 8.2%, while the dicarboxylated 4-hydroxyisophthalic acid (4HiPh) was only detected in trace amounts. The effect of the variation of reactant content was shown to be significantly influenced by the reactor size, solid/vessel and gas/solid contact area, as well as the efficiency of the stirring. CO2 pressure was shown to be a crucial element, where reactions carried out below 2 MPa CO2 did not show any activity. While investigating the reaction mechanism, it was shown that the salt analogues of potential products could be acidified in situ by the moisture present, and immediately degraded back to phenol, thus lowering yields of potentially obtained products. The experimental results were successfully used to compose a kinetic model, which very well describes the experimentally obtained results. As such, this study provides a valuable dataset for valorization of lignocellulosic aromatic compounds as well as highly abundant and environmentally detrimental carbon dioxide into industrially valuable mono- and dicarboxylic acids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Isolation, Characterization and Application of Lignin)
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12 pages, 1422 KiB  
Article
Lignin Structural Characterization and Its Antioxidant Potential: A Comparative Evaluation by EPR, UV-Vis Spectroscopy, and DPPH Assays
by Tina Ročnik Kozmelj, Maxim A. Voinov, Miha Grilc, Alex I. Smirnov, Edita Jasiukaitytė-Grojzdek, Lucian Lucia and Blaž Likozar
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(16), 9044; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25169044 - 21 Aug 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1617
Abstract
The natural aromatic polymer lignin and its lignin-like oligomeric fragments have attracted attention for their antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging activities. In this study, a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay was employed to assess the antioxidant capacity of fractionated and partially depolymerized organosolv lignin [...] Read more.
The natural aromatic polymer lignin and its lignin-like oligomeric fragments have attracted attention for their antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging activities. In this study, a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay was employed to assess the antioxidant capacity of fractionated and partially depolymerized organosolv lignin by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results show significant antioxidant activity for both the lignin and oligomeric fragments, with the EPR measurements demonstrating their efficiency in quenching the free radicals. The EPR data were analyzed to derive the kinetic rate constants. The radical scavenging activity (RSA) of lignins was then determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy and the results were compared with the EPR method. This two-method approach improves the reliability and understanding of the antioxidant potential of lignin and its derivatives and provides valuable insights for their potential applications in various industries, including pharmaceuticals, food preservation, and cosmetics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Isolation, Characterization and Application of Lignin)
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