Lignocellulosic Biomass: Wood Composition and Property for Pulp and Paper

Dear Colleagues,

Lignocellulosic biomass represents the Earth's most abundant renewable resource. However, its inherent “biomass recalcitrance”—the complex architectural bonding between cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin—remains a primary challenge for the pulp and paper industry. Given the global reliance on forests for wood and fiber products, it is essential to focus research on fundamental wood properties. Lignin, a key structural polymer, facilitates the binding of cellulosic fibers within the cell wall, providing both mechanical strength and biological defense. Lignin plays a key role in the production of low-cost lignocellulosic nanofibers for papermaking applications. Cellulose, a representative green biomass resource, is a polymeric material that is abundant in nature. Through chemical or mechanical processing, these cellulose fibers can be liberated as microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) or cellulose nanofibers (CNF). These nanocelluloses possess immense potential as nanomaterials due to their renewability, nanofibrillar structure, and capacity for self-assembly into multifunctional architectures. By developing novel methods to isolate these macromolecules and nanodimensional fibrils, researchers can leverage the existing nanotechnology platforms to create innovative wood-based materials. This Special Issue aims to bridge the gap between fundamental wood and bamboo property research and advanced nanocellulose applications, fostering new paradigms in pulp and paper manufacturing.

Dr. Xiaopeng Peng
Guest Editor

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