Biopolymer for Biofuel and Biorefineries II

Dear Colleagues,

Biofuel as a renewable energy source has been researched extensively in recent decades, primarily to satisfy the energy demands of the transportation sector, as a substitute for fossil fuel. Despite its significant progress, the full-scale substitution of fossil fuel with bio-fuel remains a challenge. So far, biofuel processing requires the use of poorly degradable synthetic polymers, which are undesirable due to their negative impact on health, as well as their detrimental effect on the environment. For these reasons, in recent years, researchers have focused their efforts on the development of new classes of polymers, namely, biopolymers (e.g., polysaccharides and proteins) and biobased polymers (e.g., polylactide and bio-polyesters), as substitutes to synthetic polymers for the application of biofuel processing. Biopolymers are usually derived from renewable sources, plants, or other biological sources. They are not only used as feedstocks for biofuel production but also as feedstocks for biological/chemical processes to produce new classes of bio-based chemicals. For example, in the production of microalgae-based biofuel, biopolymers, such as starch and chitosan, may be used during the biomass harvesting stage and for the refining of fatty acid. The biofuel industry would strongly benefit from the development of biobased polymer applications, in order to improve process sustainability. In this context, research on biopolymers for biofuel and biorefineries will be immensely important in the near future. In biorefining, biopolymers can be processed further via catalytic reactions to form other derivatives, for instance, lignin can be processed to form levulinic acid, xylitol, succinic acid, phenethyl alcohol, guaicol, catechol, and many others via process development. The production of such derivatives from biopolymer-based feedstocks is definitely beneficial economically, and may spur the usage of biofuel. 

This Special Issue focuses on the development of biopolymers to support technological advancements in biofuel and biorefining, the conversion of biopolymers into other derivatives, and the exploration of other emerging applications of biopolymers.

Prof. Dr. T. M. Indra Mahlia
Guest Editor

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• polymers from renewable resources
• biomass-derived polymers
• biopolymers
• biodegradable polymers
• biobased polymers
• biofuel
• biodiesel
• sustainable polymers
• chemical modification
• microalgae-based polymers