Advances in Biopolymer Research: Sustainability and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Polymers is pleased to announce an upcoming Special Issue dedicated to innovative developments in biopolymer-based materials for advanced and sustainable applications. The growing demand for sustainable materials has driven significant developments in biopolymer research, and these materials have proven to be a promising alternative to conventional solutions, with comparable or even better performance relative to fossil-fuel-based synthetic polymers. This Special Issue aims to explore cutting-edge research on sustainable innovative biopolymer solutions, addressing both fundamental scientific research and case-study applications, and we encourage our researcher colleagues to contribute original research articles, reviews, or short communications that explore, but are not restricted to, the following topics:

• Biopolymer-based materials—synthesis, composites and nanocomposites, agro-waste-derived materials, hydrogels, etc.
• Advanced characterization of biopolymer-based materials.
• The biodegradability and compostability evaluation of biopolymer-based materials.
• Functional properties and performance evaluation.
• Case-studies in biopolymer research.
• Innovative applications—food packaging, electronic, medicine, scaffolds, cosmetics, agriculture, automobile, energy recovery, electromagnetic shielding, etc.
• Advanced processing techniques—reactive extrusion, compounding, foam extrusion, injection molding, additive manufacturing, subtractive manufacturing, electrospinning, solvent casting, supercritical CO2, green organic synthesis, etc.
• Industrial and commercial perspectives—upscaling, circular economy, biopolymer legal regulations.
• Emerging trends and future perspectives—metamaterials, biomimicry, nanobiopolymers, smart biopolymeric materials, hybrid systems, etc.
• Life cycle assessment (LCA).

As Guest Editors, we conceive this Special Issue as a dynamic and flourishing platform for peers to bring together disruptive concepts and ideas, combining the latest innovations and emerging trends on sustainable solutions to face global challenges. We hope this Special Issue will serve as a catalyst for future academia–industry collaboration, stimulating the transfer of knowledge and the practical application of innovative and environmentally friendly solutions in society.

Dr. Pedro V. Rodrigues
Dr. M. Cidalia R. Castro
Dr. Ana Vera A. MacHado
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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.