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Biopolymer-Derived Carbon Materials: Applications in Environmental Remediation and Renewable Energy Production

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Circular and Green Sustainable Polymer Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 1694

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The growing demand for sustainable and high-performance materials has driven intense interest in biopolymers as versatile precursors for advanced carbon materials. Derived from renewable biomass, biopolymers such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, starch, chitosan, alginate, and proteins possess diverse molecular structures and abundant functional groups, enabling the design of biopolymer-derived carbons with tunable porosity, surface chemistry, and electrical conductivity. These materials have demonstrated remarkable potential in environmental remediation, including adsorption, catalysis, and sensing, as well as in renewable energy production and storage, encompassing batteries, supercapacitors, and fuel cells.

This Special Issue aims to showcase recent advances in the conversion, modification, and functionalization of biopolymers into high-value carbon materials and their integration into environmental and energy technologies. We welcome original research articles and reviews that elucidate structure–property relationships, mechanistic insights, and polymer-guided synthesis strategies relevant to this rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field.

We look forward to your valuable contributions toward advancing sustainable, polymer-centered carbon materials.

Dr. Kang Kang
Dr. Yulin Hu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Polymers 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

  • biopolymer-derived carbon
  • biomass-based polymers
  • environmental remediation
  • renewable energy materials
  • functional carbon materials
  • polymer-guided synthesis
  • sustainable materials
  • waste-to-resource valorization
  • biopolymer conversion

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 3879 KB  
Article
Solar-Driven Photocatalytic Degradation of Dye Pollutant Using MnO2-Modified Biochar via Fenton-like Reactions
by Jorge A. Soto Sandoval, Abdullah Al Ragib, Janusz Kozinski, Sudip K. Rakshit and Kang Kang
Polymers 2026, 18(9), 1119; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18091119 - 30 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1359
Abstract
Manganese dioxide (MnO2) modified biochar catalysts derived from biomass and waste polymer feedstocks were synthesized and evaluated as heterogeneous Fenton-like catalysts for solar-driven degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous systems. Biochars produced from maple wood and plastic waste (high-density polyethylene) [...] Read more.
Manganese dioxide (MnO2) modified biochar catalysts derived from biomass and waste polymer feedstocks were synthesized and evaluated as heterogeneous Fenton-like catalysts for solar-driven degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous systems. Biochars produced from maple wood and plastic waste (high-density polyethylene) provided porous carbon matrices with oxygen-rich surface functionalities that enabled effective MnO2 loading and catalytic activity. Photocatalytic experiments conducted under real sunlight using a solar-collector reactor demonstrated faster RhB degradation compared to a conventional ultraviolet (UV) system, confirming the advantage of solar-driven operation. Complete RhB removal was achieved at initial concentrations of 100–300 ppm, whereas higher dye concentrations (500 ppm) exceeded the catalytic capacity within the tested reaction time. Kinetic analysis revealed catalyst-dependent reaction behaviors, indicating that degradation pathways were strongly influenced by the biopolymer-derived carbon structure and MnO2 dispersion. Degradation efficiency was correlated with solar irradiance and reactor temperature, with higher UV index conditions enhancing catalytic performance. Reusability tests showed that the catalysts remained active over multiple cycles, although gradual decreases in reaction rates and catalyst recovery were observed. These results demonstrate the potential of biopolymer-derived carbon materials as effective solar-driven catalysts for wastewater treatment applications. Full article
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