Development of High-Performance Biobased Polyesters

Dear Colleagues,

Over recent years, extensive research has been performed—both in academic and industrial contexts—with the shared aim of developing high-performance bio-based polyesters. This class of polymers is attracting a tremendous level of interest owing to the rapid and imminent depletion of petroleum raw materials, alongside the serious environmental issues associated with their use and extraction.

In this context, thanks to the technological advancements and a surge in scientific studies, a great deal of work has recently been devoted to the conversion of biomass (polysaccharides, lignin, vegetable oils, sugars, terpenes, etc.) into numerous sustainable aromatic/aliphatic/cyclic building blocks in the form of diacids and diols. These promising monomers (diacids, such as 2,5-furandicarboxylic, itaconic, lactic, vanillic, succinic, 3-hydroxypropionic, azelaic, sebacic, terephthalic and levulinic acids etc. and glycols, such as isosorbide, 1,2,4-butanetriol, ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, glycerol, etc.; to name but a few) provide access to a wide range of functional (co)polyesters that possess unique features and superior properties. The latter may endow them with a great potential to be used for a huge variety of practical applications. To achieve this goal, concerted efforts have been made to develop the biotechnology necessary for biorefinery infrastructure. The latter plays an important role in establishing the concept of a “circular bioeconomy”, which has been increasingly cited in the scientific literature since 2016. To summarize, success in developing renewable feedstock-derived polyesters heralds the opportunity to build a green material orientated world, thereby moving away from fossil fuels to a biobased economy, which is clearly the desire of communities.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the recent progress on the synthesis, characterization, investigation of properties, and applications of polyesters derived from natural feedstocks, including their copolyesters, polyester blends and (nano)composites.

Dr. Nejib Kasmi
Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Bikiaris
Prof. Dr. Minna Hakkarainen
Guest Editors

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