Eco-friendly and strong lignin-containing microfibrillated cellulose films for high-performance separators of aqueous zinc batteries.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries have gained significant interest, offering several distinct advantages over conventional lithium-ion batteries owing to their compelling low cost, enhanced battery safety, and excellent environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, the unfortunate growth of zinc dendrites during cycling leads to poor electrochemical performance of zinc batteries, primarily attributed to the diminished wet mechanical properties and limited electrolyte uptake of existing commercial separators. Herein, a bio-based separator was developed from sustainable resources using natural polymers derived from wood pulp to replace fossil-based polyolefin separators.

Polymeric resins containing modified starch as environmentally friendly adsorbents for dyes and metal ions removal from wastewater.

Effective removal of organic and inorganic impurities by adsorption technique requires the preparation of new materials characterized by low production costs, significant sorption capacity, and reduced toxicity, derived from natural and renewable sources. To address these challenges, new adsorbents have been developed in the form of polymer microspheres based on ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and vinyl acetate (VA) (EGDMA/VA) containing starch (St) modified with boric acid (B) and dodecyl-S-thiuronium dodecylthioacetate (DiTDTA) for the removal of dyes: C.I.

Molecular understanding of the morphology and properties of lignin nanoparticles: unravelling the potential for tailored applications.

Studies have shown that the size of LNP depends on the molecular weight () of lignin. There is however need for deeper understanding on the role of molecular structure on LNP formation and its properties, in order to build a solid foundation on structure-property relationships. In this study, we show, for similar lignins, that the size and morphology of LNPs depends on the molecular structure of the lignin macromolecule.

Mechanochemical Defluorinative Arylation of Trifluoroacetamides: An Entry to Aromatic Amides.

The amide bond is prominent in natural and synthetic organic molecules endowed with activity in various fields. Among a wide array of amide synthetic methods, substitution on a pre-existing (O)C-N moiety is an underexplored strategy for the synthesis of amides. In this work, we disclose a new protocol for the defluorinative arylation of aliphatic and aromatic trifluoroacetamides yielding aromatic amides.

Surface chemistry and bioactivity of colloidal particles from industrial kraft lignins.

The morphology control of lignin through particle size reduction to nanoscale seems to be a suitable conversion technology to overcome the intrinsic limitations of its native form to develop a wide range of biomaterials with high performance. Colloidal lignin particles (CLPs) in the range of 150-200 nm were synthesised from hardwood and softwood kraft lignins by the solvent shifting method. The initial molecular features of kraft lignins were evaluated in terms of purity, molecular weight distribution, and chemical functionalities.

High-Molecular-Weight Fractions of Spruce and Eucalyptus Lignin as a Perspective Nanoparticle-Based Platform for a Therapy Delivery in Liver Cancer.

The natural polymer, lignin, possesses unique biodegradable and biocompatible properties, making it highly attractive for the generation of nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapy. In this study, we investigated spruce and eucalyptus lignin nanoparticles (designated as S-and E-LNPs, respectively). Both LNP types were generated from high-molecular-weight (M ) kraft lignin obtained as insoluble residues after a five-step solvent fractionation approach, which included ethyl acetate, ethanol, methanol, and acetone.

Special Issue: "Environmentally Friendly Polymeric Blends from Renewable Sources".

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the progress in the manufacturing,characterization, and applications of environmentally friendly polymeric blends from renewable resources [...

LignoPhot: Conversion of hydrolysis lignin into the photoactive hybrid lignin/BiOBr/BiOBr composite for simultaneous dyes oxidation and Co and Ni recycling.

Valorization of lignin is still an open question and lignin has therefore remained an underutilized biomaterial. This situation is even more pronounced for hydrolysis lignin, which is characterized by a highly condensed and excessively cross-linked structure. We demonstrate the synthesis of photoactive lignin/BiOBr/BiOBr bio-inorganic composites consisting of a lignin substrate that is coated by semiconducting nanosheets.

"Artificial Wood" Lignocellulosic Membranes: Influence of Kraft Lignin on the Properties and Gas Transport in Tunicate-Based Nanocellulose Composites.

Nanocellulose membranes based on tunicate-derived cellulose nanofibers, starch, and ~5% wood-derived lignin were investigated using three different types of lignin. The addition of lignin into cellulose membranes increased the specific surface area (from 5 to ~50 m/g), however the fine porous geometry of the nanocellulose with characteristic pores below 10 nm in diameter remained similar for all membranes. The permeation of H, CO, N, and O through the membranes was investigated and a characteristic Knudsen diffusion through the membranes was observed at a rate proportional to the inverse of their molecular sizes.

Bio-based films from wheat bran feruloylated arabinoxylan: Effect of extraction technique, acetylation and feruloylation.

This study demonstrates the potential of feruloylated arabinoxylan (AX) from wheat bran for the preparation of bioactive barrier films with antioxidant properties. We have comprehensively evaluated the influence of the structural features and chemical acetylation of feruloylated AX extracted by subcritical water on their film properties, in comparison with alkaline extracted AX and a reference wheat endosperm AX. The degree of substitution (DS) of AX had a large influence on film formation, higher DS yielded better thermal and mechanical properties.

Evaluating the Potential to Modify Pulp and Paper Properties through Oxygen Delignification.

The potential to modify pulp and paper properties by oxygen delignification was assessed by looking beyond the ordinary purpose of oxygen delignification. Pulps with the same kappa number were obtained by both pulping and the combination of pulping and oxygen delignification, and the mechanical and chemical properties were compared. The oxidation of pulp components leads to an increase in carboxylic acid groups in the fibers, resulting in a large influence on fiber swelling, seen as an increase in the water retention value and fiber saturation point.

Membrane-Filtered Kraft Lignin-Silica Hybrids as Bio-Based Sorbents for Cobalt(II) Ion Recycling.

Efficient and sustainable recycling of cobalt(II) is of increasing importance to support technological development in energy storage and electric vehicle industries. A composite material based on membrane-filtered lignin deposited on nanoporous silica microparticles was found to be an effective and sustainable sorbent for cobalt(II) removal. This bio-based sorbent exhibited a high sorption capacity, fast kinetics toward cobalt(II) adsorption, and good reusability.

Preparation, Thermal, and Mechanical Characterization of UV-Cured Polymer Biocomposites with Lignin.

The preparation and the thermal and mechanical characteristics of lignin-containing polymer biocomposites were studied. Bisphenol A glycerolate (1 glycerol/phenol) diacrylate (BPA.GDA) was used as the main monomer, and butyl acrylate (BA), 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA) or styrene (St) was used as the reactive diluent.

Lignin-Based Epoxy Resins: Unravelling the Relationship between Structure and Material Properties.

Here we investigate the relationship between thermomechanical properties and chemical structure of well-characterized lignin-based epoxy resins. For this purpose, technical lignins from eucalyptus and spruce, obtained from the Kraft process, were used. The choice of lignins was based on the expected differences in molecular structure.

Electrostatic Deposition of the Oxidized Kraft Lignin onto the Surface of Aminosilicas: Thermal and Structural Characteristics of Hybrid Materials.

In recent years, functional polymeric compounds have been widely used to modify the silica surface, which allows one to obtain the corresponding organomineral composites for broad application prospects. In this case, lignin-a cross-linked polyphenolic macromolecule-is of great interest according to its valuable properties and possible surplus as a by-product of pulp and paper industry and various biorefinery processes. Hybrid materials based on kraft softwood lignin and silica were obtained via the electrostatic attraction of oxidized lignin to the aminosilica surface with different porosities, which were prepared by the amination of the commercial silica gel with an average pore diameter of 6 nm, and the silica prepared in the lab with the oxidized kraft lignin and lignin-silica samples with an average pore diameter of 38 nm was investigated by physicochemical methods: two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), P NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen and air atmosphere, scanning electron microscopy, and adsorption methods.

The Influence of Lignin Diversity on the Structural and Thermal Properties of Polymeric Microspheres Derived from Lignin, Styrene, and/or Divinylbenzene.

This work investigates the impact of lignin origin and structural characteristics, such as molecular weight and functionality, on the properties of corresponding porous biopolymeric microspheres obtained through suspension-emulsion polymerization of lignin with styrene (St) and/or divinylbenzene (DVB). Two types of kraft lignin, which are softwood ( L.) and hardwood (), fractionated by common industrial solvents, and related methacrylates, were used in the synthesis.

Improving the thermal stability of different types of xylan by acetylation.

The impact of various degrees of acetylation on improving the thermal stability of xylan isolated from different botanical source has been studied; methylglucuronoxylan from birch and eucalyptus, arabinoglucuronoxylan from spruce and glucuronoarabinoxylan from sugarcane bagasse and straw. The lower molecular weight of non- acetylated methylglucuronoxylan (17.7-23.

The Impact of Lignin Structural Diversity on Performance of Cellulose Nanofiber (CNF)-Starch Composite Films.

Lignin fractions having different molecular weights and varied chemical structures isolated from kraft lignins of both softwood and hardwood via a sequential solvent fractionation technique were incorporated into a tunicate cellulose nanofibers (CNF)-starch mixture to prepare 100% bio-based composite films. The aim was to investigate the impact of lignin structural diversity on film performance. It was confirmed that lignin's distribution in the films was dependent on the polarity of solvents used for fractionation (acetone > methanol > ethanol > ethyl acetate) and influenced the optical properties of the films.

Peculiarities of Synthesis and Properties of Lignin⁻Silica Nanocomposites Prepared by Sol-Gel Method.

The development of advanced hybrid materials based on polymers from biorenewable sources and mineral nanoparticles is currently of high importance. In this paper, we applied softwood kraft lignins for the synthesis of lignin/SiO₂ nanostructured composites. We described the peculiarities of composites formation in the sol-gel process through the incorporation of the lignin into a silica network during the hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS).

Carbon Materials from Technical Lignins: Recent Advances.

Lignin, a major component of lignocellulosic biomass, is generated in enormous amounts during the pulp production. It is also a major coproduct of second generation biofuels. The effective utilization of lignin is critical for the accelerated development of the advanced cellulosic biorefinery.

Isolation and characterization of acetylated glucuronoarabinoxylan from sugarcane bagasse and straw.

Sugarcane bagasse and straw are generated in large volumes as by-products of agro-industrial production. They are an emerging valuable resource for the generation of hemicellulose-based materials and products, since they contain significant quantities of xylans (often twice as much as in hardwoods). Heteroxylans (yields of ca 20% based on xylose content in sugarcane bagasse and straw) were successfully isolated and purified using mild delignification followed by dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) extraction.