Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.4
4.2
Journals
Molecules
Special Issues
Advances in Polymer Materials Based on Lignocellulosic Biomass
molecules-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Advances in Polymer Materials Based on Lignocellulosic Biomass

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 7140

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Roland El Hage

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
PCH, IMT–Mines Alès, 6, Avenue de Clavières, 30100 Alès, France
Interests: natural fibers; agricultural wastes; fire behavior; flame retardants; composites; polymeric materials; polymer blends; biorefinery; chemical and physical grafting; biopolymers; bio-binders; insulators; conductive materials; durability
Dr. Rodolphe Sonnier

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
PCH, IMT–Mines Alès, 6, Avenue de Clavières, 30100 Alès, France
Interests: fire behavior; flame retardants; degradation; polymeric materials; fire safety engineering; polymers; materials chemistry; polymer blends; pyrolysis; ionizing radiation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue seeks to compile state-of-the-art research on recent advancements in lignocellulosic fibers. The issues arise as global warming reaches alarming levels due to industrial pollution. Consequently, there is much pressure to produce materials that are sustainable, biodegradable or eco-friendly. It is therefore important to study lignocellulosic biomass, which is found in agricultural and forestry residues and is a promising and versatile raw material for manufacturing sustainable materials. Additionally, it will address innovative approaches for improving the properties and functionalities of these lignocellulosic-based materials by fiber engineering and modification involving both chemical and physical grafting techniques. Furthermore, this Special Issue will consider advanced pre-treatment techniques vital for optimizing the structural and chemical characteristics of the lignocellulosic biomass. In addition to developing high-performance materials, such applications may include UV resistance, fire retardancy, hydrophobicity, water treatment, energy production and interfacial adhesion and other features. This Special Issue will demonstrate, using advanced techniques, how lignocellulosic biomass can be tailored to meet the requirements of modern applications. The coming together of these technologies demonstrates the feasibility of developing high-performance, low-cost, and sustainable polymeric materials that will facilitate the transition to a circular economy.

Dr. Roland El Hage
Dr. Rodolphe Sonnier
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. Molecules 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 2700 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

  • natural fibers
  • agricultural wastes
  • pre-treatments
  • functionalisation
  • sustainability

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.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 10341 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Modification of Sucrose-Based Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane Adhesives for Plywood Bonding
by Hongyi Zhong, Qianyu Zhang, Hong Lei, Xiaojian Zhou, Jun Zhang, Guanben Du, Antonio Pizzi and Xuedong Xi
Molecules 2025, 30(7), 1541; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071541 - 30 Mar 2025
Viewed by 246
Abstract
The production of non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) resins using recyclable biomass materials and no isocyanates as a substitute for traditional polyurethane (PU) materials has become a research focus in the polyurethane industry. The development of such NIPU resins for application as wood adhesives has [...] Read more.
The production of non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) resins using recyclable biomass materials and no isocyanates as a substitute for traditional polyurethane (PU) materials has become a research focus in the polyurethane industry. The development of such NIPU resins for application as wood adhesives has also emerged as an interesting new research topic. In this study, sucrose was used to react with dimethyl carbonate, and then polymerized with an amine to prepare sucrose-based non-isocyanate polyurethane (SNIPU) adhesives and evaluate their suitability for use in plywood. Four amines, namely polyethylene amine (PEI) of molecular weight (MW) 10,000, PEI of MW 1800, diethylenetriamine, and hexanediamine were tested in the preparation of SNIPU adhesives to determine a more suitable amine showing optimal adhesion performance. The effect of the amount of the amine added on adhesive properties was further investigated. The results showed that the SNIPU adhesive prepared with PEI-10000 as amine presents a good bonding performance. The SNIPU prepared with a PEI-10000 content of 45% (w/w on sucrose) presented the highest bonding strength. The dry strength, 24 h cold water (23 °C) wet strength, and 3 h hot water (63 °C and 93 °C) wet strengths of its bonded plywood were 1.26 MPa, 0.90 MPa, 0.84 MPa, and 0.80 MPa, respectively. Furthermore, the addition of 13% (w/w on SNIPU adhesive) of ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE) as a modifier showed a significant decrease of 20 °C of the curing temperature of the SNIPU adhesive. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymer Materials Based on Lignocellulosic Biomass)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 3801 KiB  
Article
Hydrochar from Agricultural Waste as a Biobased Support Matrix Enhances the Bacterial Degradation of Diethyl Phthalate
by Emanuel Gheorghita Armanu, Simone Bertoldi, Matthias Schmidt, Hermann J. Heipieper, Irina Volf and Christian Eberlein
Molecules 2025, 30(5), 1167; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30051167 - 5 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2970
Abstract
The hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of biomass presents a sustainable approach for waste management and production of value-added materials such as hydrochar, which holds promise as an adsorbent and support matrix for bacterial immobilization applied, e.g., for bioremediation processes of sites contaminated with phthalate [...] Read more.
The hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of biomass presents a sustainable approach for waste management and production of value-added materials such as hydrochar, which holds promise as an adsorbent and support matrix for bacterial immobilization applied, e.g., for bioremediation processes of sites contaminated with phthalate ester plasticizers such as diethyl phthalate (DEP). In the present study, hydrochar was synthesized from vine shoots (VSs) biomass employing the following parameters during the HTC process: 260 °C for 30 min with a 1:10 (w/v) biomass-to-water ratio. The resulting vine shoots hydrochar (VSs-HC) was characterized for porosity, elemental composition, and structural properties using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), and Raman spectroscopy. Elemental analysis confirmed the presence of key elements in the VSs structure, elements essential for char formation during the HTC process. The VSs-HC exhibited a macroporous structure (>0.5 μm), facilitating diethyl phthalate (DEP) adsorption, bacterial adhesion, and biofilm formation. Adsorption studies showed that the VSs-HC achieved a 90% removal rate for 4 mM DEP within the first hour of contact. Furthermore, VS-HC was tested as a support matrix for a bacterial consortium (Pseudomonas spp. and Microbacterium sp.) known to degrade DEP. The immobilized bacterial consortium on VSs-HC demonstrated enhanced tolerance to DEP toxicity, degrading 76% of 8 mM DEP within 24 h, compared with 14% by planktonic cultures. This study highlights VSs-HC’s potential as a sustainable and cost-effective material for environmental bioremediation, offering enhanced bacterial cell viability, improved biofilm formation, and efficient plasticizer removal. These findings provide a pathway for mitigating environmental pollution through scalable and low-cost solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymer Materials Based on Lignocellulosic Biomass)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

14 pages, 8824 KiB  
Article
Thermoplastic Phenomena and Morphological Changes upon Fast Pyrolysis of Biomass and Model Compounds
by Francesca Cerciello, Christophe Allouis, Carmela Russo, Erik Freisewinkel, David Tarlinski, Barbara Apicella, Martin Schiemann, Viktor Scherer and Osvalda Senneca
Molecules 2025, 30(3), 700; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30030700 - 5 Feb 2025
Viewed by 530
Abstract
The work reports preliminary results on the morphological changes that biomass particles experience at high heating rates in a heated strip reactor (HSR) at T = 1000–1600 °C under an inert atmosphere. Samples included a natural lignocellulosic biomass (pinewood) as well as biomass [...] Read more.
The work reports preliminary results on the morphological changes that biomass particles experience at high heating rates in a heated strip reactor (HSR) at T = 1000–1600 °C under an inert atmosphere. Samples included a natural lignocellulosic biomass (pinewood) as well as biomass components: cellulose, hemicellulose (xylan) and lignin. On top of that, reference compounds have been investigated, namely naphthalene pitch, a paraffinic wax and glucose. During the heat-up phase, the investigated biomass mainly retains the original morphology and size, while the single components exhibit different behaviors. Hemicellulose undergoes a fluid stage and eventually forms millimetric spherical char particles. Cellulose does not become fully fluid but softens and forms millimetric char aggregates of different shapes. Lignin particles hardly soften and stick together in a curved slab. Comparison with model compounds allows us to infer that the degree of melting and the viscosity of the melt are responsible for the final particle shape. In fact, naphthalene pitch and glucose appear to be more viscous during pyrolysis and lead to the formation of three-dimensional columns a few millimeters high. Wax undergoes extensive melting, but the relatively low viscosity and the absence of crosslinking reactions eventually lead only to the formation of droplets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymer Materials Based on Lignocellulosic Biomass)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 4048 KiB  
Article
Facile Preparation Route of Cellulose-Based Flame Retardant by Ball-Milling Mechanochemistry
by Mohamed Aaddouz, Fouad Laoutid, Jerome Mariage, Jevgenij Lazko, Bopha Yada, El Miloud Mejdoubi, Antoniya Toncheva and Philippe Dubois
Molecules 2024, 29(24), 6065; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29246065 - 23 Dec 2024
Viewed by 830
Abstract
In this study, a sustainable cellulose-based flame-retardant additive was developed, characterized, and incorporated into polypropylene (PP). Microcrystalline cellulose (Cel) was chemically modified with P2O5 using the solvent-free ball-milling mechanochemistry approach at room temperature. This modification enabled phosphorus grafting onto cellulose, [...] Read more.
In this study, a sustainable cellulose-based flame-retardant additive was developed, characterized, and incorporated into polypropylene (PP). Microcrystalline cellulose (Cel) was chemically modified with P2O5 using the solvent-free ball-milling mechanochemistry approach at room temperature. This modification enabled phosphorus grafting onto cellulose, significantly enhancing the cellulose charring ability and improving the thermal stability of the char as revealed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The resulting product, Cel-P, containing 4.15 wt.% phosphorus, was incorporated and uniformly dispersed as a flame-retardant (FR) additive at 30 wt.% in PP through melt processing. The PP+30-Cel-P composite demonstrated improved char formation and FR properties, including reduction of both peak heat release rate (pHRR) and total heat release (THR) in mass loss cone calorimetry (MLC). Moreover, lower light absorptivity was obtained by smoke opacity tests as compared to PP filled with unmodified cellulose. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymer Materials Based on Lignocellulosic Biomass)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 1760 KiB  
Review
Transparent Wood Fabrication and Applications: A Review
by Le Van Hai, Narayanan Srikanth, Tin Diep Trung Le, Seung Hyeon Park and Tae Hyun Kim
Molecules 2025, 30(7), 1506; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071506 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 474
Abstract
Wood cellulose is an abundant bio-based resource with diverse applications in construction, cosmetics, packaging, and the pulp and paper industries. Transparent wood (TW) is a novel, high-quality wood material with several advantages over traditional transparent materials (e.g., glass and plastic). These benefits include [...] Read more.
Wood cellulose is an abundant bio-based resource with diverse applications in construction, cosmetics, packaging, and the pulp and paper industries. Transparent wood (TW) is a novel, high-quality wood material with several advantages over traditional transparent materials (e.g., glass and plastic). These benefits include renewability, UV shielding, lightweight properties, low thermal expansion, reduced glare, and improved mechanical strength. TW has significant potential for various applications, including transparent roofs, windows, home lighting structures, electronic devices, home decoration, solar cells, packaging, smart packaging materials, and other high-value-added products. The mechanical properties of TW, such as tensile strength and optical transmittance, are typically up to 500 MPa (Young’s modulus of 50 GPa) and 10–90%, respectively. Fabrication methods, wood types, and processing conditions significantly influence the mechanical and optical properties of TW. In addition, recent research has highlighted the feasibility of TW and large-scale production, making it an emerging research topic for future exploration. This review attempted to provide recent and updated manufacturing methods of TW as well as current and future applications. In particular, the effects of structural modification through various chemical pretreatment methods and impregnation methods using various polymers on the properties of TW biocomposites were also reviewed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymer Materials Based on Lignocellulosic Biomass)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 4421 KiB  
Review
Unusual Lignocellulosic Bioresins: Adhesives and Coatings for Metals and Glass
by Antonio Pizzi
Molecules 2024, 29(22), 5401; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29225401 - 15 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1268
Abstract
This minireview presents some unusual but encouraging examples of lignocellulosic-based adhesives and coatings used for metals, glass, and some other difficult-to-adhere materials. The reactions and applications presented are as follows. (i) The reactions of tannins and wood lignin with phosphate salts, in particular [...] Read more.
This minireview presents some unusual but encouraging examples of lignocellulosic-based adhesives and coatings used for metals, glass, and some other difficult-to-adhere materials. The reactions and applications presented are as follows. (i) The reactions of tannins and wood lignin with phosphate salts, in particular triethylphosphate, to adhere and join steel and aluminum to Teflon, in particular for non-stick frying pans. These adhesive coatings have been shown to sustain the relevant factory industrial test of 410 °C for 11 min and, moreover, to present a 50% material loss even at 900 °C for 5 min. (ii) Non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPU) based on glucose and sucrose as coatings of steel and glass. These were obtained by the carbonation of carbohydrates through reaction with the inexpensive dimethyl carbonate followed by reaction with a diamine; all materials used were bio-sourced. Lastly, (iii) the use of citric acid-based adhesive coupled with any hydroxyl groups carrying material for coating metals is also described. These three approaches give a clear indication of the possibilities and capabilities of biomaterials in this field. All these are presented and discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Polymer Materials Based on Lignocellulosic Biomass)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop