Recent developments in microbial degradation of polypropylene: Integrated approaches towards a sustainable environment.

Fossil-fuel-based plastics have many enticing properties, but their production has resulted in significant environmental issues that require immediate attention. Despite the fact that these polymers are manmade, some bacteria can degrade and metabolise them, suggesting that biotechnologies based on the principle of plastic biodegradation could be beneficial. Among different types of plastics, polypropylene (PP), either having low or high density, is one of the most consumed plastics (18.

Cellulose nanocrystals: Pretreatments, preparation strategies, and surface functionalization.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have attracted great interest from researchers from academic and industrial areas because of their interesting structural features and unique physicochemical properties, such as magnificent mechanical strength, high surface area, and many hydroxyl groups for chemical modification, low density, and biodegradability. CNCs are an outstanding contender for applications in assorted fields comprehensive of, e.g.