Biobased and/or Biodegradable Films, Coatings, and Packaging Materials
A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2026 | Viewed by 111
Special Issue Editors
Interests: biobased materials; biodegradable polymers; packaging; polyesters; polyurethanes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: polymeric (bio)composites; cellular materials; hybrid structures; graphene-based materials; packaging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: biobased materials; nanocellulose; composites; lignin; lignosulfonates; polyurethanes; biorefinery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The growing environmental concerns related to conventional fossil-based plastics, together with increasing regulatory and societal pressure, have driven intensive research toward biobased and biodegradable alternatives. Films, coatings, and packaging materials are particularly relevant due to their widespread use and significant environmental footprint. Recent advances in renewable polymers, sustainable processing, and material design offer promising opportunities to develop high-performance materials with reduced environmental impact. Nevertheless, important challenges remain, including achieving suitable mechanical and barrier properties, scalable and green processing routes, and effective end-of-life solutions within a circular economic framework. Addressing these challenges is a timely endeavor and is essential for both academic research and industrial implementation.
This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate recent advances related to biobased and/or biodegradable films, coatings, and packaging materials. We welcome original research articles and reviews addressing the development, processing, characterization, and application of sustainable materials derived from renewable resources, as well as their environmental performance and end-of-life behavior.
Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Biobased and biodegradable polymers for films, coatings, and packaging applications.
- Sustainable processing and fabrication techniques for films and coatings.
- Structure–property relationships in biobased and biodegradable materials.
- Functional films and coatings (e.g., barrier, active, or intelligent materials).
- Biodegradability, compostability, and end-of-life assessment.
- Circular economy approaches and life cycle assessment of packaging materials.
- Application of biobased materials in food and non-food packaging.
We look forward to your valuable contributions to this Special Issue and to fostering scientific discussion on sustainable materials for next-generation films, coatings, and packaging systems.
Dr. Marina Silva Matos
Dr. Susana Cristina Pinto
Dr. Sandra Magina
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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials 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 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
- biobased materials
- biodegradable polymers
- sustainable packaging
- polymeric films
- functional coatings
- renewable resources
- circular economy
- compostability
- life cycle assessment
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.
