Advanced Biodegradable Polymers II

Dear colleagues,

After the first edition (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/advanced_biodegradable_polymer) and considering the vigorous investigational activity on this intriguing topic, we can now announce with great pleasure the second edition of the Special Issue “Advanced Biodegradable Polymers II”.

Approximately 250 million tons of petroleum-based polymers are produced each year. A large proportion of these polymers are used in products that have short service lives, and the disposal of these nondurable products is seen as an important environmental problem. With the effort to establish green chemistry and sustainability, great attention has been recently be paid to the development and evaluation of biodegradable polymers and composites in an effort to replace the petroleum-based polymers with more sustainable materials. The growing interest in replacing petroleum-based products with inexpensive, renewable, natural materials is important for sustainable development into the future, and will have a significant impact on the polymer industry and the environment. Biorenewable or sustainable polymers are excellent alternatives to petroleum-based polymers for both environmental and economic reasons. Biodegradable polymers have been developed which can fulfill nearly all of the functions of petroleum-based materials in applications ranging from packaging to durable goods, and have a major advantage over nonbiodegradable polymers in terms of degradation. It is well established that biodegradable polymers can be obtained from renewable resources such as starch, cellulose, lignin, gelatin, plant oils, fats, etc. They can also be obtained from microbiologically produced materials such as poly(hydroxybutyrate), poly(hydroxyvalerate), polyhydroxyhexanoate, and poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs). They can also be obtained from the polymerization of biomonomers such as polylactide (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and polybutylene succinate (PBS). The aim of this Special Issue is to cover new research topics related to biodegradable polymers, blends, gels, dispersions, and composites, from renewable resources, bacterial fermentation, and the  polymerization of biomonomers. Studies on the characterization, processing, rheology, shape-memory effect, applications, and life cycle assessment of different types of biodegradable polymers and composites are within the scope of this Special Issue. Researchers are cordially invited to contribute original research and review articles to this Special Issue.

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.

• Starch-based polymers
• Soybean-based polymers
• Plant-oils-based polymers
• Lignin-based polymers
• Bio-based fibers and fillers
• Polycaprolcatone
• Aqueous polyurethane dispersions
• Polyhydroxyalkanoates
• Polylactide
• Cellulose-based polymers
• Shape-memory polymers
• Biodegradable polymer composites
• Life cycle assessment
• Applications of biodegradable polymers