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Fabrication and Application of Biopolymer-Based Advanced Functional Materials, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Circular and Green Sustainable Polymer Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2025) | Viewed by 4109

Special Issue Editors

School of Light Industry and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Interests: biopolymer-based composites; drug carriers; smart biopolymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
School of Light Industry and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Interests: biopolymer-based nanocomposites; carbonized polymer dots; biosensors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Further to the success of the Special Issue of Polymers “Fabrication and Application of Biopolymer-Based Advanced Functional Materials”, we are delighted to reopen the Special Issue, now entitled “Fabrication and Application of Biopolymer-Based Advanced Functional Materials, 2nd Edition”.

In recent years, biopolymers, such as polysaccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids, have been employed for the fabrication of functional materials due to their excellent biodegradability, biocompatibility, and modification feasibility. Biopolymer-based advanced functional materials with biodegradability, drug/molecule encapsulation, bioactivity, responsiveness, sterilization, air/moisture isolation, and fluorescence show a wide range of applications, including for use as bioplastics; drug delivery systems; biomaterials for tissue engineering, biosensors, or motors; and packaging.

Recently, there has been growing interest in fabrication methods, such as green and facile chemistry methods to modify biopolymers; self-assembly or spray drying to make microbeads; additive manufacturing to endow controllable 3D structures; foaming to produce pores; hydrothermal/solvothermal reactions to fabricate carbon nanomaterials; etc. The different strategies can result in biopolymer-based composites having various chemical, structural, and functional qualities

This Special Issue aims to collect both original research and review articles that focus on the progress made in the fabrication of advanced functional materials and in applications of biopolymers and related composites.

Dr. Xiaoyun Li
Dr. Jihai Cai
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • biopolymers
  • modification
  • hydrothermal synthesis
  • composites
  • bioplastic
  • drug carriers
  • biomaterials
  • sensors
  • packaging

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3548 KB  
Article
Formation of PEG-PLGA Microspheres for Controlled Release of Simvastatin and Carvacrol: Enhanced Lipid-Lowering Efficacy and Improved Patient Compliance in Hyperlipidemia Therapy
by Lin Fu, Hengxin Ren, Chaoxing Wang, Yaxin Zhao, Bohang Zou and Xiangyu Zhang
Polymers 2025, 17(5), 574; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17050574 - 21 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1132
Abstract
Polymer-based drug-controlled release systems offer greater efficacy and potency than conventional therapies. However, prominent drug side effects, lower circulation, and low drug loading capabilities limit their application range. In this work, the combination of Simvastatin (SIV) and Carvacrol (CAV) into PEG-PLGA microspheres (SIV-CAV-PP-MS) [...] Read more.
Polymer-based drug-controlled release systems offer greater efficacy and potency than conventional therapies. However, prominent drug side effects, lower circulation, and low drug loading capabilities limit their application range. In this work, the combination of Simvastatin (SIV) and Carvacrol (CAV) into PEG-PLGA microspheres (SIV-CAV-PP-MS) was achieved via an emulsification-solvent evaporation technique, resulting in microspheres characterized by high encapsulation efficiency and reduced particle size. In vitro studies demonstrated that the cumulative drug release increased with higher SIV and CAV levels in the release medium, reaching 88.91% and 89.35% at 25 days. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that the concentrations of SIV and CAV reached their maximum levels at approximately seven days in the SIV-CAV-PP-MS group, which indicates that using PEG-PLGA as a carrier significantly delays drug release. In vivo, evaluation demonstrated that the SIV-CAV-PP-MS high-dose group and positive drug control group showed reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels by 0.39-fold and 0.36-fold compared to the Hyperlipidemia model group, and the addition of CAV significantly enhanced the lipid-lowering effects of SIV. Histological examinations indicated that the SIV-CAV-PP-MS medium-dose group displayed histological features more closely resembling those of normal mice compared to the Simvastatin control group, with a well-organized hepatocyte structure, a significant reduction in lipids, and improved liver health. The prepared polymeric microsphere utilizing SIV and SAV will be a promising dosage form for hyperlipidemia disease patients, with superior lipid-lowering efficacy and improved patient compliance. Full article
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14 pages, 5236 KB  
Article
High-Efficiency and Low-Resistance Melt-Blown/Electrospun PLA Composites for Air Filtration
by Yongmei Guo, Mingzhu Wu, Xiaojian Ye, Shengchao Wei, Luming Huang and Hailing Guo
Polymers 2025, 17(3), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17030424 - 6 Feb 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2015
Abstract
Biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) was used to fabricate nonwoven fabrics via the melt blowing process, followed by electrospinning to deposit a nanofiber membrane. This composite process yielded PLA melt-blown/electrospun composite materials with excellent filtration performance. The effects of the solution concentration and spinning [...] Read more.
Biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) was used to fabricate nonwoven fabrics via the melt blowing process, followed by electrospinning to deposit a nanofiber membrane. This composite process yielded PLA melt-blown/electrospun composite materials with excellent filtration performance. The effects of the solution concentration and spinning duration on the composite structure and material performance were investigated. The optimal composite was produced using a 10 wt.% PLA spinning solution prepared with a solvent mixture of dichloromethane (DCM) and N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) in a 75/25 weight ratio. The process parameters included a spinning duration of 5 h, 18 kV voltage, 1.5 mL/h flow rate, and 12 cm collection distance. The resulting composite achieved a filtration efficiency of 98.7%, a pressure drop of 142 Pa, an average pore size of 5 μm, and a contact angle of 138.7°. These results provided optimal process parameters for preparing PLA melt-blown/electrospun composite filtration materials. This study highlights the potential of hydrophobic PLA composites with high filtration efficiency and low air resistance as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional non-degradable filtration materials. Full article
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Review

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25 pages, 3614 KB  
Review
Biomass-Based Composites for Agricultural Applications
by Yufeng Xie, Sen Ye, Yue Peng, Jiazhen Gao, Xiaoyun Li and Xingxiang Ji
Polymers 2025, 17(21), 2851; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17212851 - 26 Oct 2025
Viewed by 377
Abstract
As chemical pollution and food safety risks in agriculture have increased due to global population growth and a food demand surge, the development of new environmentally friendly pesticide carriers is urgently needed to build a sustainable agricultural system. Owing to the excellent biocompatibility [...] Read more.
As chemical pollution and food safety risks in agriculture have increased due to global population growth and a food demand surge, the development of new environmentally friendly pesticide carriers is urgently needed to build a sustainable agricultural system. Owing to the excellent biocompatibility and controlled degradation of biomass materials and their specific interactions with active ingredients, biomass-based composites have unique advantages in the field of pesticide delivery. By regulating the carrier structure, the targeted controlled release of the pesticides can be achieved, leading to improvements in the chemical stability of the active substance and target absorption efficiency, and a significant reduction in environmental impact. This paper summarizes the innovative applications of biomass-based composites in agricultural scenarios, focusing on the breakthroughs in the three core areas of intelligent protection of seed coating, soil microcosm regulation, and foliar environment-responsive delivery. Through an in-depth analysis of the efficiency mechanism of composites on insecticides, antimicrobials, and herbicides, this review elucidates the scientific pathway of pesticide delivery through interfacial modification, slow-release kinetic modulation, and multilevel structural design, which will provide theoretical support and a practical paradigm for the development green agricultural technology. Full article
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