Sustainable and Bio-Based Polymers: Design, Processing, and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, we have witnessed unprecedented growth in the search for sustainable polymeric materials, specifically designed for use in packaging, construction, healthcare, medicine, biomedical devices, agriculture, automotive, and countless other technological sectors. This class of innovative polymers, derived from renewable resources, can also be engineered for enhanced recyclability or tailored for biodegradability in specific environments. Sustainable and bio-based polymers represent a foundation in the transition toward a greener future, offering tangible solutions to plastic pollution, resource depletion, and the advancement of the circular economy.

In response to the challenges associated with the development of bio-based materials, the scientific and industrial communities have increasingly focused on sustainable polymerisation processes and renewable polymer materials at the forefront of innovation.

To contribute to the field of renewable and sustainable polymers and polymerisation processes, this Special Issue invites contributions addressing bio-based polymers synthesised wholly or partially from biological sources such as plants, algae, bacteria, or other renewable biomass. Innovations in greener polymerisation processes applied to the synthesis of new renewable materials are also welcome, including solution polymerisation using greener solvents and environmentally friendly heterogeneous polymerisation processes (e.g., dispersion using supercritical carbon dioxide, as well as aqueous-based miniemulsion, emulsion, and suspension methods, among others).

In summary, this Special Issue seeks contributions on polymerisation processes and the multifaceted applications of sustainable and bio-based polymers, including topics such as

• Advances in bio-derived monomers and sustainable polymers derived from renewable resources such as plants, sugarcane, cellulose, algae, and non-edible biomass (e.g., agricultural residues, lignocellulosic materials, natural fibers);
• Innovative design of polymers with specific end-of-life features (e.g., biodegradability, recyclability, property tuning and life cycle assessment of polymers);
• Life cycle assessment to quantify the environmental impact of polymers, addressing factors such as carbon footprint, water use, toxicity, and end-of-life solutions;
• Sustainable polymerisation processes and synthesis technologies employing both classical and emerging methodologies, including ring-opening polymerisation, polycondensation, free-radical polymerisation, microbial fermentation, and enzymatic processes, among others;
• Process optimisation and polymerisation modelling;
• Functional polymers for packaging, construction, healthcare, and agriculture;
• Nanostructured and composite materials from renewable polymers;
• Circular economy strategies and upcycling of polymeric waste.

Prof. Dr. Fabricio Machado
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.

• bio-derived monomers and polymers
• sustainable polymers
• renewable resources
• biodegradability and recyclability
• life cycle assessment
• sustainable polymerisation processes
• green synthesis
• microbial fermentation and enzymatic polymerisation
• functional and nanostructured composite materials
• polymerisation process modelling