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Recent Insights into Biopolymer Processing, from Preparation to Fundamental Properties and Industrial Applications, 2nd Edition

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
Interests: ionic liquids; sustainability; separations; biomass; unconventional oil
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
1. Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
2. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Interests: materials for medical applications; advanced composites from bio-renewables and bio-wastes; novel strategies for refining value-added products from biomass
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will cover the current state-of-the-art findings in the area of biopolymers (cellulose, chitin, chitosan, starch, lignin, etc.), from fundamental properties of biopolymers and blends, to the preparation of materials from them, including composites and nanocomposites. We especially encourage the submission of works by experts in polymer sciences on the development of new methods and techniques for biopolymers’ characterization, processing, and the preparation of novel sustainable materials. Invited works include original research articles, reviews and mini-reviews, communications, and editorials.

Dr. Paula Berton
Dr. Julia L. Shamshina
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

  • biopolymers
  • biomaterials
  • renewables
  • properties
  • applications
  • sustainability
  • circular economy

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 2954 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Carboxylated Cellulose Nanocrystals Isolated Through Oxalic Acid Hydrolysis from Solid Residues of Softwood-Derived Glycol Lignin Production
by Thi Thi Nge and Tatsuhiko Yamada
Molecules 2025, 30(14), 2922; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30142922 - 10 Jul 2025
Viewed by 274
Abstract
The efficient use of renewable lignocellulosic biomass has attracted wide interest, as it promises to reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuel consumption. A recently developed batch-scale process, which produces glycol lignin (GL) from softwood biomass, generates a considerable amount of cellulose-rich solid [...] Read more.
The efficient use of renewable lignocellulosic biomass has attracted wide interest, as it promises to reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuel consumption. A recently developed batch-scale process, which produces glycol lignin (GL) from softwood biomass, generates a considerable amount of cellulose-rich solid residues (SRs) as a byproduct. In this study, usable cellulose was isolated from SRs in the form of carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals (O-CNCs). The properties of O-CNCs were investigated to establish a possible integrated biomass utilization system based on the GL production technology. Three different forms of purified SRs—never-dried (N-Cel), freeze-dried (F-Cel), and vacuum-dried (V-Cel) cellulose—were subjected to oxalic acid (OA) hydrolysis at 95 °C for 4 h. The average length of O-CNCs ranged from 90 to 120 nm and the height ranged from 3 to 6 nm for separate particles and from 8 to 20 nm for aggregates. The carboxyl group content was 0.11–0.23 mmol/g O-CNCs. The overall results indicated that the yields, dimensions, surface charges, and thermal stability of the O-CNCs were largely influenced by the nature of the starting cellulose. In addition, O-CNCs prepared from recycled OA exhibited similar properties to those prepared from fresh OA. Full article
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