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Polymers
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Carbohydrate Polymers: Synthesis, Preparation, Structural Characteristics and Applications
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Carbohydrate Polymers: Synthesis, Preparation, Structural Characteristics and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2025) | Viewed by 6056

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Aoxue Luo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Landscape Plants, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China
Interests: carbohydrate polymers; polysaccharide; synthesis; structure characteristics; biological activity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yijun Fan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Landscape Plants, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China
Interests: medicinal plants; polysaccharides; biosynthesis; biological activity; structural characteristics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Carbohydrate polymers are some of the most abundant and important biological macromolecules in nature. Carbohydrate-related polymers can be roughly divided into three categories: (a) polysaccharides found in nature, usually homopolymers or heteropolymers (including cellulose, dextrin, and agarose); (b) naturally derived synthetic polysaccharides, which are polymers containing the main chain of carbohydrates, made by ring-opening polymerization or other methods with monomers made from natural sugars; and (c) sugar polymers (including glycopeptides) are synthetic polymers with monosaccharides or oligosaccharides as side groups. The application of carbohydrate polymers, especially sugar polymers, has attracted significant attention.

This Special Issue mainly covers the preparation, structural modification, biological and chemical synthesis, structural characteristics, biological activity, and potential application of carbohydrate polymers in areas such as bioenergy, bioplastics, biomaterials, nanotechnology, biorefining, drug delivery, food, chemistry, packaging, paper, pharmaceuticals, medicine, oil recovery, textiles, and wood.

Prof. Dr. Aoxue Luo
Dr. Yijun Fan
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. 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

  • carbohydrate polymers
  • polysaccharide
  • synthesis
  • structural characteristics
  • biological activity

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2976 KiB  
Article
Chromium-Doped Biomass-Based Hydrochar-Catalyzed Synthesis of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural from Glucose
by Huimin Gao, Wei Mao, Pize Xiao, Chutong Ling, Zhiming Wu and Jinghong Zhou
Polymers 2025, 17(10), 1413; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17101413 - 20 May 2025
Viewed by 197
Abstract
5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a versatile carbohydrate-derived platform chemical that has been used for the synthesis of a number of commercially valuable compounds. In this study, several chromium (Cr)-doped, biomass-derived hydrochar catalysts were synthesized via the one-pot method using starch, eucalyptus wood, and bagasse [...] Read more.
5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a versatile carbohydrate-derived platform chemical that has been used for the synthesis of a number of commercially valuable compounds. In this study, several chromium (Cr)-doped, biomass-derived hydrochar catalysts were synthesized via the one-pot method using starch, eucalyptus wood, and bagasse as carbon sources. Then, the performance of these synthesized materials for the catalytic conversion of glucose into HMF was evaluated by, primarily, the yield of HMF. The synergistic interactions between the Cr salt and the different biomass components were investigated, along with their effects on the catalytic efficiency. The differences in the catalytic activity of the synthesized materials were analyzed through structural characterization, as well as assessments of the acid density and strength. Among the catalysts, Cr5BHC180 derived from bagasse presented the highest activity, achieving an HMF yield of 64.5% in an aqueous solvent system of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and saturated sodium chloride (NaCl) at 170 °C after 5 h. After four cycles, the HMF yield of Cr5BHC180 decreased to 38.7%. Characterization techniques such as N2 adsorption–desorption and Py-FTIR suggested that such a decline in the HMF yield is due to pore blockage and acid site coverage by humic by-products, as demonstrated by the fact that regeneration by calcination at 300 °C restored the HMF yield to 50.5%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbohydrate Polymers: Synthesis, Preparation, Structural Characteristics and Applications)
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20 pages, 1869 KiB  
Article
Production of β-Glucans from Rhizopus oryzae M10A1 by Optimizing Culture Conditions Using Liquid Potato Starch Waste
by Miguel Anchundia, Gualberto León-Revelo, Stalin Santacruz and Freddy Torres
Polymers 2025, 17(9), 1283; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17091283 - 7 May 2025
Viewed by 309
Abstract
β-glucans from filamentous fungi are important for human health. There is limited research on polysaccharides from filamentous fungi, and no reports have been published regarding the optimization of culture media to produce β-glucans from Rhizopus oryzae using liquid waste from potato starch processing. [...] Read more.
β-glucans from filamentous fungi are important for human health. There is limited research on polysaccharides from filamentous fungi, and no reports have been published regarding the optimization of culture media to produce β-glucans from Rhizopus oryzae using liquid waste from potato starch processing. In this regard, the fermentation conditions to produce β-glucans from Rhizopus oryzae M10A1 were optimized using the one variable at a time (OVAT) and response surface methodology (RSM). The β-glucans were chemically characterized by determining moisture, nitrogen, protein, fat, ash, and total carbohydrates. The color, molecular weight, β-glucan content, monosaccharide composition, and structural and conformational characteristics were assessed by colorimetry, gel permeation chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The microbial indicators, mesophilic aerobes, molds, yeasts, and Escherichia coli were quantified following ISO standard protocols. Optimization indicated that supplementation with 0.8% (w/v) glucose and ammonium sulfate enhanced heteroglycan production (3254.56 mg/100 g of biomass). The β-glucans exhibited high purity, a light brown color, a molecular weight of 450 kDa, and a composition predominantly consisting of glucose and galactose. These findings suggest that β-glucans from Rhizopus oryzae M10A1 could be used for food and health applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbohydrate Polymers: Synthesis, Preparation, Structural Characteristics and Applications)
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17 pages, 3138 KiB  
Article
A High Andean Hydrocolloid Extracted by Microatomization: Preliminary Optimization in Aqueous Stability
by Yudith Choque-Quispe, David Choque-Quispe, Carlos A. Ligarda-Samanez, Aydeé M. Solano-Reynoso, Sandro Froehner, Betsy S. Ramos-Pacheco, Yakov Felipe Carhuarupay-Molleda and Liliana Asunción Sumarriva-Bustinza
Polymers 2024, 16(13), 1777; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16131777 - 23 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1582
Abstract
Aqueous suspensions rely on electrostatic interactions among suspended solids, posing a significant challenge to maintaining stability during storage, particularly in the food and pharmaceutical industries, where synthetic stabilizers are commonly employed. However, there is a growing interest in exploring new materials derived from [...] Read more.
Aqueous suspensions rely on electrostatic interactions among suspended solids, posing a significant challenge to maintaining stability during storage, particularly in the food and pharmaceutical industries, where synthetic stabilizers are commonly employed. However, there is a growing interest in exploring new materials derived from natural and environmentally friendly sources. This study aimed to optimize the stability parameters of a novel Altoandino Nostoc Sphaericum hydrocolloid (NSH) extracted via micro atomization. Suspensions were prepared by varying the pH, gelatinization temperature and NSH dosage using a 23 factorial arrangement, resulting in eight treatments stored under non-controlled conditions for 20 days. Stability was assessed through turbidity, sedimentation (as sediment transmittance), ζ potential, particle size, color and UV-Vis scanning. Optimization of parameters was conducted using empirical equations, with evaluation based on the correlation coefficient (R2), average relative error (ARE) and X2. The suspensions exhibited high stability throughout the storage period, with optimized control parameters identified at a pH of 4.5, gelatinization temperature of 84.55 °C and NSH dosage of 0.08 g/L. Simulated values included turbidity (99.00%), sedimentation (72.34%), ζ potential (−25.64 mV), particle size (300.00 nm) and color index (−2.00), with simulated results aligning with practical application. These findings suggest the potential use of NSH as a substitute for commercial hydrocolloids, albeit with consideration for color limitations that require further investigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbohydrate Polymers: Synthesis, Preparation, Structural Characteristics and Applications)
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16 pages, 5501 KiB  
Article
Differential Studies on the Structure of Lignin–Carbohydrate Complexes (LCC) in Alkali-Extracted Plant Hemicelluloses
by Shuyu Pang, Xin Wang, Jiali Pu, Chen Liang, Shuangquan Yao and Chengrong Qin
Polymers 2024, 16(10), 1403; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16101403 - 15 May 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1630
Abstract
Hemicellulose extracted by alkali treatment is of interest because of the advantages of its intact sugar structure and high degree of polymerization. However, the hemicellulose extracted by alkali treatment contained more lignin fragments and the presence of a lignin–carbohydrate complex (LCC), which affected [...] Read more.
Hemicellulose extracted by alkali treatment is of interest because of the advantages of its intact sugar structure and high degree of polymerization. However, the hemicellulose extracted by alkali treatment contained more lignin fragments and the presence of a lignin–carbohydrate complex (LCC), which affected the isolation and purification of hemicellulose and its comprehensive utilization. Therefore, the evaluation of the LCC structure of different types of lignocellulosic resources is of great significance. In this study, the LCC structures of hardwoods and Gramineae were enriched in alkaline systems. Information on the composition, structural proportions, and connection patterns of LCC samples was discussed. The similarities and differences between the LCC structures of different units of raw materials were comparatively studied. The results indicated that the monosaccharide fractions were higher in the LCC of Gramineae compared to hardwoods. The composition of the lignin fraction was dominated by G and S units. The phenyl glycosidic (PhGlc) bond is the predominant LCC linkage under alkali-stabilized conditions. In addition, Gramineae PhGlc types are more numerous compared to hardwoods. The results of the study provide insights into the differences in the chemical composition and structural features of LCC in different plants and provide important guidance for the optimization of the process of purifying hemicellulose. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbohydrate Polymers: Synthesis, Preparation, Structural Characteristics and Applications)
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