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New Advances in Bio-Based Polymers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 3523

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the development of society, bio-based polymers have become a widely used material. They have attracted more and more attention in the fields of polymer chemistry, biochemistry, materials science, medicine, food science, etc., due to their impressive environmental performance. Compared with traditional materials, they have greater advantages and potential. This Special Issue aims to showcase in-depth research on the synthesis, processing, recycling, and application of bio-based polymers. Its topics include, but are not limited to:

  1. Advances in modified bio-polymers to improve their application.
  2. Nanomaterials based on bio-polymers for agriculture, industry, medicinal, and pharmaceutical application.
  3. Biodegradable polymers based on bio-polymers.

Colleagues are welcome to actively contribute.

Prof. Dr. San-Lang Wang
Guest Editor

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

  • polymer
  • bio-based
  • biomaterials
  • biochemistry
  • biodegradable

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 5669 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Vitamin D3 Adsorption Through Novel Hydrophobic Halloysite–Alginate Biopolymer Composites
by Mervenur Kirazoğlu and Birgül Benli
Polymers 2025, 17(8), 1083; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17081083 - 17 Apr 2025
Viewed by 277
Abstract
This study presents a sustainable strategy to enhance polymer encapsulation, adsorption, and functional properties by chemically modifying sodium alginate with hydrophobic groups. Hydrophobic alginate derivatives were synthesized via a solvent-free method using hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide, resulting in nanoparticles capable of effectively capturing non-polar [...] Read more.
This study presents a sustainable strategy to enhance polymer encapsulation, adsorption, and functional properties by chemically modifying sodium alginate with hydrophobic groups. Hydrophobic alginate derivatives were synthesized via a solvent-free method using hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide, resulting in nanoparticles capable of effectively capturing non-polar compounds. To further improve compatibility within alginate-based biocomposites, halloysite nanotubes were modified through ball milling and surfactant-assisted treatments. The resulting nanocomposites (MBHA and MHHA) exhibited significantly enhanced adsorption and controlled release behavior, as confirmed by FTIR analysis of hexadecyl alginate ester conjugation. Vitamin D3 adsorption followed the Langmuir isotherm, with high correlation coefficients (R2 = 0.998 for MBHA and R2 = 0.991 for MHHA), indicating monolayer adsorption on a homogenous surface. Kinetic modeling revealed that the adsorption process adhered to a pseudo-second-order model (R2 = 0.9969 for MBHA and R2 = 0.999 for MHHA), suggesting that chemisorption was the dominant rate-controlling mechanism. These results demonstrate the critical role of surface modification in designing nano-engineered biopolymers with superior adsorption, stability, and release profiles, offering sustainable applications in medicine, agriculture, and environmental remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Bio-Based Polymers)
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21 pages, 7089 KiB  
Article
3D-Printed Acrylated Soybean Oil Scaffolds with Vitrimeric Properties Reinforced by Tellurium-Doped Bioactive Glass
by Matteo Bergoglio, Matthias Kriehuber, Bernhard Sölle, Elisabeth Rossegger, Sandra Schlögl, Ziba Najmi, Andrea Cochis, Federica Ferla, Marta Miola, Enrica Vernè and Marco Sangermano
Polymers 2024, 16(24), 3614; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16243614 - 23 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1047
Abstract
In this study, we present novel, vitrimeric and biobased scaffolds that are designed for hard tissue applications, composed of acrylated, epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) and reinforced with bioactive glass that is Tellurium doped (BG-Te) and BG-Te silanized, to tune the mechanical and antibacterial [...] Read more.
In this study, we present novel, vitrimeric and biobased scaffolds that are designed for hard tissue applications, composed of acrylated, epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) and reinforced with bioactive glass that is Tellurium doped (BG-Te) and BG-Te silanized, to tune the mechanical and antibacterial properties. The manufacture’s method consisted of a DLP 3D-printing method, enabling precise resolution and the possibility to manufacture a hollow and complex structure. The resin formulation was optimized with a biobased, reactive diluent to adjust the viscosity for an optimal 3D-printing process. The in vitro biological evaluation of the 3D-printed scaffolds, combined with BG-Te and BG-Te-Sil, showed that the sample’s surfaces remained safe for hBMSCs’ attachment and proliferation. The number of S. aureus that adhered to the BG-Te was 87% and 54% lower than on the pristine (control) and BG-Te-Sil, respectively, with the eradication of microbiofilm aggregates. This work highlights the effect of the vitrimeric polymer matrix and doped, bioactive glass in manufacturing biocompatible, biobased, and antibacterial scaffold used in hard tissue application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Bio-Based Polymers)
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14 pages, 35533 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Characterization of Chitosan/Starch Nanocomposites Loaded with Ampicillin to Enhance Antibacterial Activity against Escherichia coli
by Vinh Nghi Nguyen, San-Lang Wang, Thi Huyen Nguyen, Van Bon Nguyen, Manh Dung Doan and Anh Dzung Nguyen
Polymers 2024, 16(18), 2647; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16182647 - 19 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1836
Abstract
Chitosan/starch nanocomposites loaded with ampicillin were prepared using the spray-drying method by mixing various ratios of chitosan and starch. The morphology of chitosan/starch nanoparticles was studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the zeta potential value and size distribution were determined by [...] Read more.
Chitosan/starch nanocomposites loaded with ampicillin were prepared using the spray-drying method by mixing various ratios of chitosan and starch. The morphology of chitosan/starch nanoparticles was studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the zeta potential value and size distribution were determined by a Nanoparticle Analyzer. The results show that the chitosan/starch nanocomposites have a spherical shape, smooth surface, and stable structure. Nanoparticle size distribution ranged from 100 to 600 nm, and the average particle size ranged from 300 to 400 nm, depending on the ratio between chitosan and starch. The higher the ratio of starch in the copolymer, the smaller the particle size. Zeta potential values of the nanocomposite were very high, ranging from +54.4 mV to +80.3 mV, and decreased from 63.2 down to +37.3 when loading with ampicillin. The chitosan/starch nanocomposites were also characterized by FT-IR to determine the content of polymers and ampicillin in the nanocomposites. The release kinetics of ampicillin from the nanocomposites were determined in vitro using an HPLC profile for 24 h. The loading efficiency (LE) of ampicillin into chitosan/starch nanoparticles ranged from 75.3 to 77.3%. Ampicillin-loaded chitosan/starch nanocomposites were investigated for their antibacterial activity against antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in vitro. The results demonstrate that the antibacterial effectiveness of nanochitosan/starch loading with ampicillin against E.coli was 95.41%, higher than the 91.40% effectiveness of ampicillin at the same concentration of 5.0 µg/mL after 24 h of treatment. These results suggest that chitosan/starch nanocomposites are potential nanomaterials for antibiotic drug delivery in the pharmaceutical field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Bio-Based Polymers)
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