Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.0
4.7
Journals
Polymers
Special Issues
Advances in Biocompatible and Biodegradable Polymers, 4th Edition
polymers-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Polymers Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Advances in Biocompatible and Biodegradable Polymers, 4th Edition

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 5652

Special Issue Editors

Dr. José Miguel Ferri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
University Institute of Materials Technology (IUTM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Plaza Ferrandiz y Carbonell s/n, Alcoy, Alicante, Spain
Interests: cellular materials; biodegradable polymers; recycling; natural additives; biocomposites; polymer compatibilization; polymer rheology; surface modification fillers; thermal and mechanical properties; selective dissolution; bioresorbable materials; foaming processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Vicent Fombuena Borràs

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Technological Institute of Materials (ITM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Plaza Ferrandiz y Carbonell s/n, Alcoy, Alicante, Spain
Interests: mechanical properties; polymers; composites; surface modification; biodegradable and biocompatible polymers; atmospheric plasma
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. María Fernanda López Pérez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Institute for Industrial, Radiophysical and Environmental Safety (ISIRYM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Plaza Ferrandiz y Carbonell s/n, Alcoy, Alicante, Spain
Interests: biopolymers; biomass revalorization; PHA and PHB production; chemical recycling; biodegradable polymers; natural additives; polymer rheology; surface modification fillers; polymer membranes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Among the various strategies to reduce negative environmental impacts due to the uncontrolled consumption and low recovery of conventional plastics, the synthesis of new biodegradable and recyclable plastics is considered one of the most promising. The spectrum of existing biodegradable materials is still very narrow, and so, to achieve greater applicability, mixtures of biodegradable polymers are being investigated using a blending strategy. However, the incompatibilities shown by these mixtures have led to the establishment of several strategies (incorporation of additives, reactive extrusion, copolymerization) to improve this feature.

This Special Issue on Polymers invites contributions that address advances in the synthesis of new biodegradable polymers, new mixtures of biodegradable polymers, and, in particular, compatibility studies, as well as those exploring the influence on their chemical, thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties. In addition, we welcome research on the biocompatibility of polymers with the human body, including studies on the degradation of physiological serum and the influence of their mechanical and thermal properties depending on the time of contact with physiological serum.

Dr. José Miguel Ferri
Dr. Vicent Fombuena Borràs
Prof. Dr. María Fernanda López Pérez
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

  • biodegradable polymers
  • biocompatible polymers
  • compatibility
  • blends
  • disintegration
  • polymer miscibility

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issues

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 3527 KiB  
Article
Cross-Linked Poly(methyl methacrylate) Nanocomposites’ Synthesis, Characterization, and Antibacterial Effects
by Nazeeha S. Alkayal and Mashail A. Al Ghamdi
Polymers 2025, 17(3), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17030269 - 21 Jan 2025
Viewed by 754
Abstract
Polymer networks were synthesized using the condensation method between PMMA and melamine as cross-linkers. CuO nanoparticles (NPs) and activated carbon (AC) were used as a filler. The final products PMMA/Mel, PMMA/Mel-CuO, and PMMA/Mel-AC were tested for antibacterial activities against E.coli and S. aureus. [...] Read more.
Polymer networks were synthesized using the condensation method between PMMA and melamine as cross-linkers. CuO nanoparticles (NPs) and activated carbon (AC) were used as a filler. The final products PMMA/Mel, PMMA/Mel-CuO, and PMMA/Mel-AC were tested for antibacterial activities against E.coli and S. aureus. The chemical structure and composition, thermal properties, and surface morphology of the new PMMA/Mel-based nanocomposites were investigated by various techniques. The XRD and EDX results showed the successful incorporation of CuO NPs and AC into the polymer matrix. Also, the thermal stability of the PMMA/Mel polymer was significantly enhanced after adding CuO nanoparticles. This finding showed that the PMMA/Mel-CuO and PMMA/Mel-AC nanocomposites have greater activity against both bacteria than PMMA/Mel. The PMMA/Mel-CuO and PMMA/Mel-AC polymers showed high activity against S. aureus bacteria, with inhibition zones of 22.6 mm and 11.3 mm, respectively. This confirms that small-sized nanoparticles have an effective role in killing bacterial cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biocompatible and Biodegradable Polymers, 4th Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

27 pages, 7688 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Characterization of PLA/Biochar Bio-Composites Containing Different Biochar Types and Content
by Katerina Papadopoulou, Panagiotis A. Klonos, Apostolos Kyritsis, Evangelia Tarani, Konstantinos Chrissafis, Ondrej Mašek, Konstantinos Tsachouridis, Antonios D. Anastasiou and Dimitrios N. Bikiaris
Polymers 2025, 17(3), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17030263 - 21 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1129
Abstract
A series of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/biochar (BC) bio-composites filled with low amounts (1–5 wt%) of BC were prepared and characterized. The synthesis involved the in situ ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide in the presence of two different types of BC named SWP550 and [...] Read more.
A series of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/biochar (BC) bio-composites filled with low amounts (1–5 wt%) of BC were prepared and characterized. The synthesis involved the in situ ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide in the presence of two different types of BC named SWP550 and SWP700, having been produced by pyrolysis of softwood pellets at two different temperatures, 550 and 700 °C, respectively. The bio-composites were characterized by complementary techniques. The successful synthesis of PLA and PLA/BC bio-composites was directly demonstrated by the formation of new bonds, most probably between PLA and BC. Indirect evidence for that was obtained by the systematic molar mass reduction in the presence of BC. BC was found by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs to be well dispersed at the nanosize level, indicating that in situ polymerization is a technique quite efficient for producing bio-composites with finely dispersed BC additive. The molecular dynamics mapping is performed here via dielectric spectroscopy, moreover, for the first time in these PLA/BC systems. The strong PLA/BC interactions (due to the grafting) led to a systematic deceleration of segmental mobility (elevation of the Tg) in the bio-composites despite the opposite effect expected by the decrease in molar mass with the BC content increasing. In addition, the same interactions and chain-length reduction are responsible for the slight suppression of the PLA’s crystallizability. The effects are slightly stronger for SWP700 as compared to SWP550. The crystal structure is rather similar between the unfilled matrix and the bio-composites, whereas, based on the overall data, the semicrystalline morphology is expected to be tighter in the bio-composites. The thermal stability and decomposition kinetics were also thoroughly studied. All materials exhibit good resistance to thermal degradation. Additionally, the mechanical properties of bio-composites were evaluated by tensile testing and found slightly enhanced at low biochar contents and decreasing thereafter due to the low molecular weight of bio-composites with the larger BC contents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biocompatible and Biodegradable Polymers, 4th Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 5395 KiB  
Article
Avocado Seed Starch-Based Films Reinforced with Starch Nanocrystals
by Pedro Francisco Muñoz-Gimena, Alejandro Aragón-Gutiérrez, Enrique Blázquez-Blázquez, Marina Patricia Arrieta, Gema Rodríguez, Laura Peponi and Daniel López
Polymers 2024, 16(20), 2868; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16202868 - 10 Oct 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2259
Abstract
Biopolymers derived from biomass can provide the advantages of both biodegradability and functional qualities from a circular economy point of view, where waste is transformed into raw material. In particular, avocado seeds can be considered an interesting residue for biobased packaging applications due [...] Read more.
Biopolymers derived from biomass can provide the advantages of both biodegradability and functional qualities from a circular economy point of view, where waste is transformed into raw material. In particular, avocado seeds can be considered an interesting residue for biobased packaging applications due to their high starch content. In this work, avocado seed starch (ASS)-based films containing different glycerol concentrations were prepared by solvent casting. Films were also reinforced with starch nanocrystals (SNCs) obtained through the acid hydrolysis of ASS. The characterization of the extracted starch and starch nanocrystals by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis has been reported. Adding 1% of SNCs increased elastic modulus by 112% and decreased water vapor permeability by 30% with respect to neat matrix. Interestingly, the bioactive compounds from the avocado seed provided the films with high antioxidant capacity. Moreover, considering the long time required for traditional plastic packaging to degrade, all of the ASS-based films disintegrated within 48 h under lab-scale composting conditions. The results of this work support the valorization of food waste byproducts and the development of reinforced biodegradable materials for potential use as active food packaging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biocompatible and Biodegradable Polymers, 4th Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

22 pages, 6741 KiB  
Article
Valorization of Cellulosic Waste from Artichoke for Incorporation into Biodegradable Polylactic Acid Matrices
by Alexandra Llidó Barragán, Alejandro de la Calle Salas, Francisco Parres García and José Enrique Crespo Amorós
Polymers 2024, 16(19), 2778; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16192778 - 30 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 906
Abstract
This study presents the development of ecological compounds using polylactic acid (PLA) and artichoke flour with the aim of obtaining materials with properties like commercial PLA. PLA biocomposites with different concentrations of green artichoke (HV) and boiled artichoke (HH) (1, 3, 5, 7, [...] Read more.
This study presents the development of ecological compounds using polylactic acid (PLA) and artichoke flour with the aim of obtaining materials with properties like commercial PLA. PLA biocomposites with different concentrations of green artichoke (HV) and boiled artichoke (HH) (1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 20% by weight) were manufactured through an extrusion and injection process. Structural, mechanical, physical and color tests were carried out to analyze the effect of lignocellulosic particles on the biopolymeric matrix. The Shore D hardness, elongation at break and heat deflection temperature (HDT) of the PLA/HV and PLA/HH samples showed similar values to pure PLA, indicating that high concentrations of both fillers did not severely compromise these properties. However, reductions in the tensile strength, impact strength and Young’s modulus were observed, and both flours had increased water absorption capacity. FTIR analysis identified the characteristic peaks of the biocomposites and the ratio of the groups regarding the amount of added filler. The SEM revealed low interfacial adhesion between the polymer matrix and the filler. This study represents a significant advance in the valorization and application of circular economy principles to agricultural waste, such as artichoke waste. PLA/HV biocomposites make a substantial contribution to sustainable materials technology, aligning with the goals of the 2030 agenda to reduce environmental impacts and promote sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biocompatible and Biodegradable Polymers, 4th Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop