Improving the mechanical properties of chitosan through blending with poly(trimethylene carbonate) copolymer.

In this study, a novel flexible material was fabricated by blending chitosan (CS) with a poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) copolymer. N-methyl-D-glucamine, which acts as a polyol, was grafted onto the PTMC copolymer to produce poly(TMC-co-TMC-glucamine) (PTTG), to enhance the hydrogen bonding interactions. The CS/PTTG blend films were then fabricated using solvent casting.

Ni-Fe Cocatalysts on Magnesium Silicate Supports for the Depolymerization of Kraft Lignin.

This research aimed to synthesize magnesium silicate (MgSiO) used as a support for Ni-Fe cocatalysts in the depolymerization of kraft lignin. Magnesium silicate was prepared by a hydrothermal method, followed by metal solution impregnation to obtain lignin depolymerization catalysts. The catalytic efficiency of kraft lignin depolymerization to valued phenolic compounds was studied by varying the ratios of Ni and Fe on the MgSiO support.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Mechanical, Thermal, and Antibacterial Properties of PLA/ZnO Nanoflower Biocomposite Filaments for 3D Printing Application.

Functionalities of 3D printing filaments have gained much attention owing to their properties for various applications in the last few years. Innovative biocomposite 3D printing filaments based on polylactic acid (PLA) composited with ZnO nanoflowers at varying contents were successfully fabricated via a single-screw extrusion technique. The effects of the varying ZnO nanoflower contents on their chemical, thermal, mechanical, and antibacterial properties were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and tensile testing, as well as qualitative and quantitative antibacterial tests, respectively.