Immiscible and incompatibility between the hydrophilic fiber phase and hydrophobic matrix phase results in a poor stress transfer between the two phases and deterioration in mechanical, physical, and barrier properties. Thus, this study aims to enhance the compatibility between hydrophobic polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT) and hydrophilic nature corn starch (CS) by substituting native corn starch with acetylated corn starch (ACS). The acetylation treatment was used to improve the hydrophobicity of corn starch. The native corn starch was used as a reference to study the effect of acetylation. Challenges in incorporating fillers into hydrophobic PBAT were overcome by adding plasticizer; sorbitol (S) and compatibilizers; maleic anhydride (MAH) and dicumyl peroxide (DCP). The composite films were characterized by fourier transform infrared (FTIR), tensile properties, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), water contact angle (WCA) measurement, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The morphology of the composites was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The tensile properties of PBAT/ACS were improved by adding compatibilizers. Meanwhile, adding plasticizer improved the tensile properties of PBAT/CS. PBAT/ACS/MAH composite possessed a tensile strength of 15.47 MPa, modulus of 95.30 MPa, and strain at break of 170.81%, while PBAT/CS/30S composite possessed tensile strength of 8.59 MPa, modulus of 104.60 MPa and strain at break of 1037.91% which have potential use in packaging applications.

Production of kenaf polyols (KP) via liquefaction process was carried out using polyethylene glycol 400 and glycerol as the liquefying solvent. Optimization of parameters such as temperature, time, and the ratio of catalyst composition was done extensively. The effect of the hybridization of inorganic acid (sulphuric acid) and organic acid (lactic acid) as the liquefaction catalyst on the liquefaction product was studied. The results demonstrated that the lowest amount of residue (10.1%) was obtained at 160 °C with 3:1 (sulphuric acid: lactic acid) ratio of catalyst composition for 90 min. The hydroxyl (OH) number and viscosity of the kenaf polyol were examined. FTIR and NMR analyses revealed that most kenaf cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were degraded. XRD analysis was employed to examine the crystallinity index of kenaf residues (KR) at different temperatures, times, and catalyst ratio compositions. The morphology of KR at different temperatures was examined by using SEM analysis. The results showed that a smooth-surface KR was obtained at the optimum temperature (160 °C), indicating most of the cellulose was already decomposed at 160 °C. The optimized KP with OH number of 335.6 mg KOH/g and viscosity of 690 cP was used for the making of bio-based rigid polyurethane foam which is denoted as KPUF. The properties of KPUF and PUFs based petroleum polyol (PPUF) were compared. The density of KPUF (68.2 kg/m3) is lower compared to PPUF (131.9 kg/m3). The cellular structure and larger average cell diameter (0.617 mm) of KPUF enhance the water absorption ability which demonstrated that KPUF is capable to be utilized as growing media in the hydroponic system.

Due to the increase in horticultural production intensive techniques are needed. These techniques generate soil degradation, since the natural recovery time between crops is insufficient. The usual way to solve this problem is the use of fertilizers, as they are effective in the short time available. Conventional fertilizers are highly soluble salts, allowing their absorption by plant roots. However, they are dumped on the soils in more quantity than plants need, thus, the excess of unassimilated nutrients contaminates both the soil and groundwater. The main objective of this work was to develop and evaluate an alternative to conventional fertilizers, creating slow-release matrices from a protein by-product to which iron was incorporated. To carry out a more complete study, iron was incorporated in concentrations of 2.5, 5.0 and 10 wt%, using two different salts: iron(II) sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO4·7H2O) and iron chelated with N,N′-ethylenediamine-bis (2-hydroxyphenyl) acetic acid (Fe-EDDHA). Several tests were performed to compare their mechanical properties, micronutrient release profile, water absorption capacity and biodegradability, as well as their final effectiveness in crops. The protein-based matrices with both salts incorporated presented good mechanical properties. However, Fe-EDDHA matrices had a greater water absorption capacity, while FeSO4·7H2O matrices were more efficient in their final application in plants and had a longer biodegradation time. In conclusion, protein-based matrices present a high potential for the slow release of iron, thereby improving crop properties.

Metal and metal oxides nanoparticles (NPs) supported on polymer nanocomposites have recently received significant attention due to their valuable applications in catalysis. In this work, cellulose acetate butyrate/TiO2 (CAB/TiO2) and CAB/TiO2/Au nanocomposite films were fabricated via a nanosecond pulsed laser ablation method in liquid. The obtained nanocomposites were characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These techniques confirmed the formation of CAB/TiO2 and CAB/TiO2/Au nanocomposites. The catalytic performance of the fabricated nanocomposites was evaluated in the reduction of 2-nitrophenol (2-NP) to 2-aminophenol in the presence of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as a reducing agent and quantitively was monitored by UV–Vis spectroscopy. The obtained results showed an excellent catalytic activity of the CAB/TiO2/Au nanocomposites, as 8 mg of the catalyst load resulted in ~ 100% conversion within a reaction time of 16 min. The reduction reaction of 2-NP follows the pseudo-first-order model, with rate constants of 0.0148, 0.0299, and 0.803 min−1 for 1 mg, 4 mg, and 8 mg catalysts loadings respectively. Moreover, the fabricated nanocomposites showed high stability and reusability, as it has been reused for the reduction of 2-NP up to 5 cycles without significant loss in catalytic activity.

In this study, relying on different ratios of dopamine (DA) and polyvinylimide (PEI) as mussel coating materials, a new type of mussel-coated modified composite nanofiltration membrane was developed. The effects on membrane flux and retention of the step-by-step and one-step methods were compared. The results showed that the membrane performance was closely related to the different ratios of DA and PEI. When the ratio of DA:PEI was 3:1, the water flux and dye retention rate were the best, and the pollution recovery rate of humic acid reached 86.8%. By optimizing a simple one-step fabrication process, the performance of composite nanofiltration membranes has been greatly improved. Compared with the membrane prepared by the step-by-step method, the pure water flux of the new composite membrane prepared by the one-step method increases by 19.8%, and the retention rate increases by 145.9%. This research will provide a simple, fast, and efficient preparation method for developing new high-performance composite nanofiltration membranes.

The main objective of this research is to investigate how curcumin liposomal nanocarriers influence the drug release behaviour of PVA/PEG hydrogels in relation to physico-mechanical properties. For this purpose, optimal nanoliposomes from drug loading and release viewpoints, prepared by the thin-film hydration method, were incorporated into the hydrogel composition. Hydrogel samples were physically crosslinked using the freeze–thaw procedure. According to the dynamic laser scattering, atomic force microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy observations, negative nanoliposomes with negative surface charges showed a spherical morphology with an average particle size of about 100 nm and narrow size distribution. The X-ray diffraction results revealed that adding nanoliposomes to the hydrogel increases the degree of PVA chains crystallinity, enhances tensile modulus and tensile strength of the hydrogel, while decreasing swelling and dehydration rates. SEM micrographs observation displayed that the porosity in the hydrogel structure in the presence of nanoliposomes increases. Nevertheless, in agreement with physical properties, drug release from nanoliposome-in-hydrogel is slower and more controlled as compared to that from free curcumin hydrogel, especially in the early stages. The MTT assay results indicated that although all hydrogel samples are non-toxic, human foreskin fibroblast cell proliferation on hydrogel in the presence of curcumin-loaded nanoliposomes has improved somewhat.

Many natural living tissues, such as ligaments, muscles, tendons, and corneas, have anisotropic structural features that afford superior mechanical performance and functionalities. The development of hydrogels with structures and mechanical properties similar to those of natural living tissues for practical applications is urgently needed. In this study, a series of anisotropic Ca-alginate hydrogels are systematically fabricated via a facile prestretching and drying method. The resulting hydrogels exhibit highly ordered structures, which endow them with extraordinary mechanical properties and high mechanical anisotropy. The gels with a water content of ~ 54–60 wt%, similar to that of natural tissues such as cartilage, skin, and ligament, have the highest Young’s modulus, tensile strength, work of extension, and fracture energy of 258.40 ± 21.19 MPa, 28.54 ± 1.18 MPa, 11.79 ± 1.65 MJ/m3, and 4323 ± 224 J/m2, respectively. The highest degrees of anisotropy, or the ratio of the mean property between the parallel and perpendicular directions to the clamping direction, of those properties of the hydrogels are 11.08, 4.49, 1.47, and 4.01, respectively. Moreover, they are highly stable in distilled, domestic, and river water. With these remarkable characteristics, the developed anisotropic Ca-alginate hydrogels are expected to have numerous applications.

Clean water is a prerequisite for health living and smooth eco-fundamental networking. However, the dye industry which is contributing remarkably to the world economic growth is equally contributing to the drastic reduction in the availability of clean water and this has become a global challenge. Notably, conventional methods and materials have been used to remove dye pollutants, but they encountered criticism due to harmful chemical employment and the inability to completely mineralize stubborn dyes. Interestingly, the photocatalytic degradation method using cheap biopolymeric metallic nanoparticles (BMNPs) is a trendy cutting-edge practice and have demonstrated to be an eco-economical approach that can completely mineralize dye pollutants into non-toxic molecules. This paper is a review of original research work that photocatalytically used BMNPs for the remediation of dye pollutants. From the study, it was observed that the highest reported dye degradation efficiency was 100% and the shortest degradation time was < 1 min. Various BMNPs can be reused for up to 7 cycles with over 85% recovery of dye and over 75% efficiency was recorded for spent BMNPs after the nth cycle in most cases. It was also observed that chitosan is the most commonly employed biopolymer for BMNPs. In the end, this study provides innovative frontiers and future research hotspots that can spur the application of BMNPs to a new level in real-life scenarios for sustainable water security and effluent treatment schemes.Graphical Abstract

Polydopamine (PDA) as a mussel-inspired poly(catechol)amine with the capability of being coated on a variety of surfaces has attracted the attention of many researchers. In this article, the integrity of PDA nano-layer in living soil was studied in depth. To this end, polydopamine was coated on the surface of the synthesized magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@PDA) and incubated in the magnetic particles-free soil for different periods of up to 120 days. According to the obtained results, the PDA biodegradation commences within the first week, and then due to the surface precipitation of Ca and Si compounds on the PDA, the biodegradation slows down. Also, the results revealed that PDA despite its 47% degradation in the soil environment within 120 days, has little effect on the soil’s biological properties. The mass loss of the coating due to the biodegradation in the living soil was modeled by different models including the Kulkarni model, the first-order model, and the second-order model, which the results showed that the first-order model could describe the data much better, indicating that the hydrolysis reactions of the polymer chain have occurred by both enzymatic catalyzes and hydroxyl ions in soil and the bond scission rate decreased exponentially with time. The released moieties from the PDA to the soil were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to mainly be trimethyl cyclopentanol, methyltetrahydrofuryl glucine, methylpentyl pentanoate, and methyltriazol amine.Graphical Abstract

It is known that plastic materials, separated from the circular economy, are divided into small pieces over many years and create risks by mixing with nature, seas, freshwater resources, and terrestrial ecosystems in micro dimensions. It is thought that micro-size powder material and production scraps not used in Additive Manufacturing (AM) production processes will turn into a waste problem in the future in parallel with the increasing usage intensity. In this direction, this study presents a new and sustainable usage model within the scope of recycling Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) wastes. In the study, granule materials obtained from AM waste material mixtures with different parameters are recommended to be recycled by using them to produce functional plastic parts in the automotive industry plastic injection systems. In this context, materials recycled with different methods and function tests in automotive company acceptance standards are shared.

According to the circular economy concept, developing packages based on biopolymers and agricultural residues and evaluating their environmental impact should be a global sustainability initiative. Thus, this work is focused on the design of biofilms using sustainable materials (starch and Agave fibers) modified by a green single-step method (GSSM) by ultrasound. Regardless of the botanical source (rice, corn, and potato), the morphological analysis revealed the disruption of starch granules in all sonicated films, which promoted higher content of amylopectin leaching out from the granules to the continuous matrix, increasing the proportion of double helices with more packing as short-range crystallinity and thermal analysis indicated. These changes, in combination with the high interaction with fibers, improved the stiffness values as the storage modulus indicated. The cradle-to-gate inventory-based study of economic and environmental impact demonstrated that corn starch and the GSSM process have the best eco-efficiency among the other starch sources and conventional methods evaluated. Furthermore, starch films containing Agave fibers showed the lowest environmental impacts regarding global warming, ozone depletion, freshwater eutrophication, land use, fossil resource scarcity, and water consumption. These findings can help producers and decision-makers understand the environmental and economic impact of the processes and raw materials used to develop sustainable packaging materials.Graphical Abstract

Chitosan is a versatile and promising polysaccharide with unique properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and antimicrobial activity, making it attractive for potential applications in various fields including biomedicine, food science, cosmetics, and environmental engineering. However, its poor solubility and antioxidant activity limits its effectiveness in some applications. In this work, a facile approach for one-pot synthesis of chitosan–glucose derivatives (CG-MRPs) by Maillard reaction using an industrially scalable hydrothermal method was described. Chitosan was functionalized with different percentages of glucose, and the resulting CG-MRPs were characterized by UV–Vis and FTIR spectroscopy, DLS, TGA, and elemental analysis. The CG-MRPs showed a fivefold increase in radical scavenging activity and improved sun-protective effect (sun protection factor 6.30 ± 0.01) compared to the neat chitosan. For the first time, cytotoxicity assays (hen’s egg test on the chorioallantoic membrane, in vivo eye irritation, and test for cytotoxicity on a suspension of bull spermatozoa) of CG-MRPs were performed. In vitro and in vivo toxicity assays confirmed that CG-MRPs had no irritating effect or systemic toxicity. This study suggested that CG-MRPs can be used as biodegradable photoprotective agents in skincare and preservatives in the food and cosmetic industries.Graphical Abstract

Sustainability and eco-friendliness are now prevalent, especially in product development. Making countless composites with petroleum-based polymers pollutes the planet. Modern society requires sustainable, biodegradable materials. Additionally to that advancement, natural fibre reinforced polymer composites have become increasingly popular. Even in those composites, the matrix was a major issue since any thermos or thermoset serves as the matrix. A complete biodegradable composite is a challenging option. Biodegradable resin reinforced with flax fibres and palm seed powders was attempted. The issue with natural products is the retention of their properties under varying environmental conditions. Freeze–thaw testing examined property retention in the composites. The freeze-thawing process affected the fibre-resin interfacial adhesion, reducing mechanical properties gradually. The effects of palm seed powder fillers, manufacturing methods, and chemical treatment of fibres were also examined. Additionally, it was demonstrated that adding palm seed powder fillers significantly enhanced the properties. Hand layup with vacuum bagging and minimal filler addition maximise tensile and flexural strengths. To increase the hardness and wear resistance, it is necessary to increase the amount of filler. Chemically treating fibres affected hardness and wear resistance. The input parameters are optimised based on the results of the experiments conducted in accordance with the design of experiments. The outputs were validated with predicted data and the error percentage was minimal.Graphical Abstract

Despite the effectiveness of activated carbon as an adsorbent for many contaminants in water, it suffers from poor handling and regeneration along with difficulty of separation from water after application. Our research aims to develop activated carbon-based adsorbents with enhanced stability and adsorption properties through incorporating biopolymers such as xylan and pectin and coating them over magnetite. The mesoporous adsorbents, as measured by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analyzer, successfully adsorbed the pharmaceutical emerging contaminants of fluoxetine and famotidine with respective maximum adsorption capacities of 90.9, 42.9 mg/g for the xylan-incorporated nanocomposite, and 114.9, 53.5 mg/g for the pectin-incorporated ones, which are the highest capacities reported for these drugs to date. Thermogravimetric analysis and zeta potential measurements in acidic and basic media showed superior thermal and chemical stability for the developed nanocomposites over bare activated charcoal coated magnetite. Incorporating the biopolymers improved the regenerability of the nanocomposites, as confirmed by estimating the equilibrium dissociation constants. High Performance Liquid Chromatography measurements on adsorption in binary systems of the two drugs in distilled water and spiked tap water showed a decrease in percent removal compared to single systems owing to competitive adsorption between the two drugs.Graphical Abstract

Polyamide dendrimers, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were heat-treated for hydrogels films preparation. The effect of the dendrimers periphery type (OH, NH2), dendrimers content, and generation number on the properties of the hydrogels and adsorption performance at different pHs have been examined. Chemically bonded dendrimers into the hydrogel showed a high swelling ratio and high gel content compared to a neat film of PVA/PAA. The incorporation of dendrimers increases the swelling ability of the hydrogel. The highest swelling obtained was at low dendrimers content and high generation numbers G3-OH and G3-NH2. The diffusion of water within the hydrogel follows the Fickian character. Combining the polyamide dendrimers into the hydrogel films showed potential use in metal chelating and the adsorption of Ni2+, Zn2+, Fe2+, and Cu2+ ions onto the hydrogel. The adsorption results have shown dependency on pH, generation number, and dendrimers content. The adsorption increases at pH 6, high generation number, and high dendrimers content regardless of the periphery. The hydrogel containing G3-OH had high swelling and metal ion adsorption.

In this research, edible films produced from basil seed gum (BSG) with three different gum (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%) and plasticizer concentrations (1%, 3%, 5%) were developed, and the physical, thermal, barrier and microstructural properties of these films were measured. As a result of XRD, AFM, DSC, and FT-IR spectroscopy analyses, it was concluded that barrier properties and thermal stability of BSG-based films are quite good. The increase in gum and glycerol concentrations increased the crystallinity also improved the barrier properties of the film. Also, films with low gum and high glycerol ratio have almost smooth surfaces and appropriate transparency for packaging applications. As the glycerol and BSG concentration increased, WVP values of the films increased. The complete dissolution of this film in the soil within 60 days, even at the highest gum concentration, showed that this material could be considered eco-friendly packaging. For this reason, it is thought that BSG-based films and coatings with suitable gum and plasticizer concentrations can be a potential packaging material for foods since they can be obtained at low cost, have a very good barrier, thermal and structural properties, and are edible and biodegradable.

The recovery of enriched Zn-68 is extremely important in the production of short-lived isotope (Ga-67) in the Cyclotron because of its high price. A high amount of Zn-68 is produced during the production of Ga-67 from its target (Zn-target) by a solvent extraction technique. In this investigation, we successfully prepared poly(vinyl alcohol-t-acrylamide), P(VA-t-AM) resin using the gamma radiolysis technique. The characterization of pristine PVA and synthesized P(VA-t-AM) was performed to confirm their structures. The produced polymer was tested for the elimination of Zn2+ ions from simulated liquid waste as produced during the production of the Ga-67. To get the highest uptake of Zn2+ ions on the polymer, various parameters such as solution pH, polymer weight, and contact time were applied. The loading Zn2+ ions were studied at optimum conditions of the Batch approach. Then, the retrieval of Zn2+ ions from the packed chromatographic column was tested using different parameters such as flow rates, bed depths, and initial concentration of Zn2+. The results indicated that the percentages of loaded Zn2+ ions on the packed column were 96.94% at the best operational conditions. Moreover, different eluents were applied to the retrieval of Zn2+ ions from the P(VA-t-AM) column, and the data confirmed that the retrieval percentage of Zn2+ ions from P(VA-t-AM) was 98.43% at the optimum. The reusability of the working polymer was examined for eight cycles. This paper recommended that the synthesized P(VA-t-AM) can be utilized for the retrieval of Zn2+ ions from the spent Zn-68 target in the Cyclotron.

This work aims to introduce a high-performance, environmentally friendly process for the production of composites based on chitosan and submicron inorganic particles using the example of barium sulfate (ВaSO4) as a filler. The process is based on the direct incorporation of commercial BaSO4 into a chitosan solution and short-term mechanical activation of dispersion in a rotor-stator device under optimized processing conditions. Composite films obtained from mechanically activated dispersions with a filler content of 0–20% (w/w) were characterized using optical, AFM, and SEM microscopy, X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, and tensile and moisture permeability testing data. With an increase in the filler content, the moisture resistance of the films increases. The maximum increase in strength and elongation (of 20 and 110%, respectively) is achieved with a filler content of 10%. It was found that the introduction of filler increases the sorption capacity of the films towards Cu2+ ions by 35% and the initial sorption rate by three times. The developed method can be recommended for large-scale production of chitosan-based composite materials.Graphical Abstract

Petro-based plastics are linked to various environmental issues throughout their lifecycle, including pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, persistence in marine and terrestrial habitats, etc. The utilization of biopolymers is a prominent substitute for petro-based materials. Further, the reinforcement of natural fibers (NFs) to biopolymers significantly improves the functionality of biopolymers. The functionality of NFs is crucial to promote the interfacial interaction with biopolymers and achieving high-performance materials which could compete with traditional petro-based materials. NFs have several benefits over synthetic fiber, including biodegradability, low density and cost, lighter weight, superior life cycle, and good mechanical properties. This review article focuses on the characterization and properties of plant-based NFs and their synergistic application. This thorough assessment of the state-of-the-art focuses on current research on how NFs can be used for their potential role as reinforcement in the packaging industry.

In this study, a novel nanocomposites based on Polylactic acid (PLA) and Poly(glycerol succinic acid) (PGSU) containing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles was prepared by salt leaching technique. FTIR, 1 H NMR, and 13 C NMR analysis evaluated molecular structures of synthesized PGSU. Prepared scaffolds were examined by FTIR and XRD analysis, and their results showed that possible interactions between PLA, PGSU, and n-HA can be seen, and also, the presence of PGSU decreased the amount of crystallinity. Microstructure analysis revealed that porous 3D structures could be seen on all samples even though interconnect structures on PLA70PGSU30H5 were visible. Dispersion of nanoparticles on the nanocomposite scaffolds was characterized, and their results showed that PGSU having functional groups has helped to dispersion and distribute nanoparticles. The thermal stability of the samples was done at high temperature due to the good interactions between the functional groups of polymer pairs and surface of nanoparticles, especially in samples PLA50PGSU50H5 and PLA70PGSU30H5, which were evaluated in the TGA test. Mechanical properties were done on dry and wet conditions on all of the scaffolds, and results showed that the bulk modulus of scaffolds containing PGSU has decreased and the pressure tolerance in these samples has decreased, but the volumetric strain has increased. Dynamic contact angles showed that the presence of PGSU and n-HA positively affected the hydrophobicity properties of PLA. MTT, Dapi, and cell adhesion analysis emphasized that the sample of PLA70PGS30H5 showed reasonable behavior against other samples. Also, Alizarin red exhibited that PGSU had a practical effect on different and standard culture mediums on the creation of calcination zones. Real-time PCR analysis was carried out on selected samples, and osteocalcin and osteopontin gens expressions showed that the presence of PGSU into PLA increases gene expression, and the addition of n-HA showed more intensity to the expression of the gens.