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Polymers
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Biodegradable Polymers to Biomedical and Packaging Applications, 2nd Edition
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Biodegradable Polymers to Biomedical and Packaging Applications, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 4525

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Beata Kaczmarek-Szczepańska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomaterials and Cosmetic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun, Poland
Interests: biopolymers; porous materials; tissue engineering; biomaterials; wound dressings
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marcin Wekwejt

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Biomaterials Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland
2. Laboratory for Biomaterials and Bioengineering (CRC-Tier I), Department of Min-Met-Materials Eng & Regenerative Medicine, CHU de Québec, Laval University, Québec City, QC, Canada
Interests: biomaterials; bioactivity; biofunctionality; bone cement; dual-setting materials; magnesium phosphate; natural hydrogels; biocomposite; antibacterial properties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the release of the Special Issue titled "Biodegradable Polymers for Biomedical and Packaging Applications—2nd Edition", following the success of its first edition. Biodegradable polymers are now an important part of every sector (nanotechnology, chemistry, agriculture, etc.). However, their main application is related to biomedical science and packaging applications. Scientists in these two fields are particularly interested in biodegradable polymers, because they are harmless to the environment.

In this Special Issue, current trends in polymer synthesis, analysis, and physicochemical studies are highlighted and discussed. This Special Issue will collate novel studies related to biodegradable polymers for biomedical and packaging applications. It is important to consider different methods to improve the properties of polymer-based materials and increase their applicability in industry. Thanks to the open access platform of this journal, we can count on a wider audience of readers of the fruits of our research efforts. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Biodegradable two- and three-dimensional material preparation and characterization for biomedical and packaging applications;
  • Two- and three-dimensional material preparation from different raw compounds;
  • The physicochemical properties of two- and three-dimensional materials made of polymers;
  • Biological studies (in vitro and in vivo) of 2D and 3D scaffolds;
  • Microbiological activity studies of two- and three-dimensional materials used as scaffolds and packages.

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue. Full research papers, communications, as well as reviews are all welcome. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Beata Kaczmarek-Szczepańska
Dr. Marcin Wekwejt
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • biodegradable polymers
  • biodegradable composites
  • physico-chemical characterization of biodegradable polymers
  • physical and chemical modification of biodegradable polymers
  • biomedical applications
  • packaging applications

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 4746 KB  
Article
Analysis of the Effect of Fabrication Parameters on the Properties of Biopolymer Coatings Deposited on Ti13Zr13Nb Alloy
by Michał Bartmański and Kamila Sionek
Polymers 2025, 17(23), 3136; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17233136 - 25 Nov 2025
Viewed by 630
Abstract
This work describes the preparation and characterization of chitosan-based biopolymer coatings containing silver, zinc, and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles deposited on the Ti13Zr13Nb alloy by the EPD method. It was intended to evaluate the influence of surface pretreatments and deposition parameters on the structural, electrochemical, [...] Read more.
This work describes the preparation and characterization of chitosan-based biopolymer coatings containing silver, zinc, and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles deposited on the Ti13Zr13Nb alloy by the EPD method. It was intended to evaluate the influence of surface pretreatments and deposition parameters on the structural, electrochemical, and biological properties of coatings. The morphology and composition were characterized by means of SEM/EDS, AFM, XRD, and FTIR analysis. The obtained results indicated uniform continuous layers with homogeneously distributed nanoparticles and the presence of characteristic functional groups originating from chitosan and hydroxyapatite. Corrosion investigations performed in SBF solution revealed a significant enhancement in corrosion resistance for chitosan/nanoAg/nanoZn/nanoHAp coatings, reflected in a drastic decrease in corrosion current density compared with uncoated Ti13Zr13Nb alloy. The contact angle measurements confirmed their hydrophilic nature, which favors better biointegration ability. Biological tests (MTT and LDH) performed on human osteoblasts (hFOB 1.19) confirmed high biocompatibility (>85% cell viability) in the case of all coatings with the addition of hydroxyapatite, whereas in the case of coatings without HAp, cytotoxicity was observed, probably due to the uncontrolled release of metallic nanoparticles. These findings suggest that the presence of hydroxyapatite in chitosan-based coatings efficiently enhances corrosion protection and cytocompatibility, showing very good prospects for biomedical applications such as the surface modification of titanium implants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodegradable Polymers to Biomedical and Packaging Applications, 2nd Edition)
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21 pages, 8033 KB  
Article
Agar/Carboxymethyl Cellulose Blended Films with Green-Synthesised Silver Nanoparticles as a Sustainable Alternative for Food Packaging Applications
by Seyedeh Fatemeh Mirpoor, Alessio Massironi, Danielle Winning, Stella Lignou, Sameer Khalil Ghawi, Federico Trotta and Dimitris Charalampopoulos
Polymers 2025, 17(23), 3126; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17233126 - 25 Nov 2025
Viewed by 853
Abstract
The shelf life of food can be affected by storage and transport conditions. The development of a biodegradable, eco-friendly active bioplastic for food packaging could delay food deterioration during these stages, while minimising the environmental impact of non-degradable conventional plastics. In this study, [...] Read more.
The shelf life of food can be affected by storage and transport conditions. The development of a biodegradable, eco-friendly active bioplastic for food packaging could delay food deterioration during these stages, while minimising the environmental impact of non-degradable conventional plastics. In this study, blended films of agar with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were integrated with different concentrations of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) that were produced by a green synthesis method. The incorporation of silver nanoparticles into the blended films increased the stiffness of the film and improved the water vapour barrier and hydrophobicity. The thermal stability and the Fourier transform infrared spectra of the films were not affected by the different concentrations of AgNPs incorporated. The film microstructure was affected by the concentration of AgNPs and resulted in an increase in the film’s pore size. Films with the highest concentration of AgNPs showed antibacterial activity against foodborne pathogens, L. monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli, and provided the material with the highest UV protection and bio-disintegration in soil and simulated seawater environments compared to the other developed films. The developed agar/CMC blended films with improved physicochemical properties present a viable alternative to conventional plastics in active food packaging applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodegradable Polymers to Biomedical and Packaging Applications, 2nd Edition)
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24 pages, 2455 KB  
Article
Impact of Glycerol and Heating Rate on the Thermal Decomposition of PVA Films
by Ganna Kovtun and Teresa Cuberes
Polymers 2025, 17(15), 2095; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17152095 - 30 Jul 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2483
Abstract
This study analyzes the thermal degradation of PVA and PVA/glycerol films in air under varying heating rates. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of pure PVA in both air and inert atmospheres confirmed that oxidative conditions significantly influence degradation, particularly at lower heating rates. For PVA/glycerol [...] Read more.
This study analyzes the thermal degradation of PVA and PVA/glycerol films in air under varying heating rates. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of pure PVA in both air and inert atmospheres confirmed that oxidative conditions significantly influence degradation, particularly at lower heating rates. For PVA/glycerol films in air, deconvolution of the differential thermogravimetry (DTG) curves during the main degradation stage revealed distinct peaks attributable to the degradation of glycerol, PVA/glycerol complexes, and PVA itself. Isoconversional methods showed that, for pure PVA in air, the apparent activation energy (Ea) increased with conversion, suggesting the simultaneous occurrence of multiple degradation mechanisms, including oxidative reactions, whose contribution changes over the course of the degradation process. In contrast, under an inert atmosphere, Ea remained nearly constant, consistent with degradation proceeding through a single dominant mechanism, or through multiple steps with similar kinetic parameters. For glycerol-plasticized films in air, Ea exhibited reduced dependence on conversion compared with that of pure PVA in air, with values similar to those of pure PVA under inert conditions. These results indicate that glycerol influences the oxidative degradation pathways in PVA films. These findings are relevant to high-temperature processing of PVA-based materials and to the design of thermal treatments—such as sterilization or pyrolysis—where control over degradation mechanisms is essential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodegradable Polymers to Biomedical and Packaging Applications, 2nd Edition)
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