Journal of Polymers and the Environment最新文献

{"title":"Synergistic Enhancement of Mechanical Strength and Antibacterial Activity in 3D Core–Shell Bone Scaffolds Incorporating Phosphate-Modified Pomegranate Peel Powder Within Polylactic Acid/Poly (Glycerol-Succinic Acid) Composite","authors":"Mohammadreza Shojaei, Davood Bizari, Shahrokh Shojaei, Pedram Tehrani, Mohsen Korani, Lokman Uzun, Wei-Hsin Chen, Vahabodin Goodarzi","doi":"10.1007/s10924-024-03296-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-024-03296-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite the imposing regenerative abilities of bone tissue, accomplishing rapid and successful bone regeneration remains challenging due to the complex back-and-forth of factors influencing the healing process. In bone tissue engineering, the mechanical strength and biocompatibility of 3D polymeric scaffolds, which the former is more challenging for bone tissue, are yet to be an unsolved problem. Herein, 3D cylindrical core–shell scaffolds were fabricated by dual-leaching technique using poly (Glycerol-Succinic Acid) (PGSU) as the sell, in combination with phosphate-modified pomegranate peels powder, and poly lactic acid (PLA). The main objective of developing such scaffolds is not only to improve compressive strength but also to enhance cell viability and antibacterial activity. Overall results confirmed that the developed core–shell scaffold, containing phosphate-modified pomegranate peel powder, on one hand, had an appropriate compressive strength due to the presence of PLA in its core; on the other hand, showed acceptable antibacterial activity for using pomegranate powder. Also, it demonstrated that the surface modification was successfully done. By incorporating phosphate-modified pomegranate peel powder into the core–shell scaffold, compressive strength of almost 6000 Pa was achieved, with a porosity of 90% alongside cell viability of almost 100%, as indicated by the MTT assay. The main reason for the appropriate biological response of the developed scaffold relevant to the biomolecule compounds presented in pomegranate powder, including tannins, phytochemicals, flavonoids, and antioxidants, as well as the presence of phosphate ions. Therefore, as the final perspective, the synergistic effects resulting from the combination of the scaffold's structural properties and the antibacterial properties of phosphate-modified pomegranate powder contribute to its overall effectiveness.</p>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141171444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Supertough Shape Memory Bionanocomposites of Thermoplastic Vulcanizates Based on PLA- EVA and Cellulose Nanocrystal","authors":"Reyhaneh Aminyan,&nbsp;Hamid Garmabi,&nbsp;Ali Asghar Katbab","doi":"10.1007/s10924-024-03309-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-024-03309-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polylactic acid (PLA) is the main candidate among the synthetic polymers for food packaging application. However, its poor processing and mechanical performance have limited its practical application. Here, we prepared a supertough thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) using PLA and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer with optimized EVA composition. The dynamic curing agent, dicumyl peroxide (DCP), was used as EVA-DCP masterbatch to improve its curing efficiency. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were further used as the biocompatible and renewable nanofiller, used in the form of PLA-CNC masterbatch, leading to improved mechanical strength and shape memory performance (SMP). Dynamically curing the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) precursors diminished the temperature-dependency of elastic modulus (<span>(E^{prime})</span>) prior to PLA’s glass transition. Thus, improving the shape fixity (FR) of the TPVs compared to their TPEs as the TPVs showed <span>(FR&gt;98%)</span> while the TPV60 (60% PLA) showed the highest FR of 100%. The TPVs showed higher recovery ratio (RR) with <span>(RR&gt;87.25%)</span> with the TPV60 containing 1.5% CNC, which showed the highest RR of 94.1%. The mechanical performance analyses showed that the optimized TPV: CNC possesses a supertough nature, achieved by tuning the rheological behavior and morphology of the final TPVs. The results were quite promising for smart food packaging applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141148506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reducing Hydrophilicity of Cellulose Nanofibrils Through Lipase-Catalyzed Surface Engineering with Renewable Grafting Agents","authors":"Guilherme Rezende Costa,&nbsp;Marcus Vinícius Nascimento,&nbsp;Braz de Souza Marotti,&nbsp;Valdeir Arantes","doi":"10.1007/s10924-024-03316-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-024-03316-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cellulose nanofibrils are distinguished bionanomaterials known for their unique morphology, thermal stability, and ability to form networks, yet they encounter challenges in compatibility with hydrophobic matrices, limiting their application in various applications. This study introduces an innovative surface modification method to address the high hydrophilicity of CNFs. The novelty lies in the use of lipase as a biocatalyst in combination with renewable grafting agents, specifically butanoic and oleic acids. The lipase successfully esterified both acids onto the CNFs, with butanoic acid exhibiting a higher surface concentration, resulting in a more substantial reduction in hydrophilicity. Contact angle measurements demonstrated a notable shift, from 10.84° for untreated CNF to 68.4° and 55.1° for CNFs grafted with butanoic and oleic acid residues, respectively. While there were only slight alterations in crystallinity, thermal stability, and brittleness, lipase proved to be an effective catalyst for modifying the CNF surface with fatty acids. This approach offers a method to mitigate the high hydrophilicity of CNFs without compromising their key properties. Furthermore, it can be proposed as a means to tailor CNF for water-resistant applications in fields such as electronics, packaging, and Pickering emulsions.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><p>The structure of the lipase protein was sourced from the Protein Data Bank (PDB), first referenced by Xie et al. [38]</p>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141100112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction to: Sustainable Production of Microcrystalline Cellulose Through Gas Phase Hydrolysis for Pharmaceutical Applications: Characterization and Life Cycle Assessment","authors":"Jaber Hosseinzadeh,&nbsp;Ali Abdulkhani,&nbsp;Alireza Ashori,&nbsp;Pimenov Sergey Dmirievich,&nbsp;Ali Hajiahmad,&nbsp;Hamid Abdolmaleki,&nbsp;Fubao Sun,&nbsp;Zahra Echresh Zadeh","doi":"10.1007/s10924-024-03303-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-024-03303-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141109296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Innovative High-Performance Antimicrobial Agent and Dye Adsorbent Based on Magnetic/Copper Nanoparticles","authors":"Mohammadreza Moghaddam-Manesh,&nbsp;Reza Darvishi,&nbsp;Ali Moshkriz","doi":"10.1007/s10924-024-03289-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-024-03289-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of new magnetic nanoparticles complexed with copper, designated as Fe₃O₄@gly@cyclohexylidene-spiro[indoline-[1,3]dithiine]@Cu (FMNP). The structural confirmation of these nanoparticles was achieved through several techniques, including SEM imaging, VSM curves, XRD patterns, TGA and DTG curves, ICP-OES spectroscopy, and FT-IR spectrum analysis. Quantum mechanical studies were also conducted to precisely determine the complex’s position. These nanoparticles demonstrated antimicrobial properties against fungal, Gram-negative, and Gram-positive bacterial strains. The minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values ranged from 64 to 128 μg/mL, and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values varied between 8 and 256 μg/mL, indicating superior inhibitory effects on some microbial species compared to existing antibiotics. Furthermore, the FMNP nanoparticles were utilized in fabricating a crosslinked Oxidized Pectin-Fish Collagen Peptides hydrogel (FHGEL) aimed at adsorbing Congo red from aqueous solutions. The study of FHGEL’s adsorption capacity revealed that incorporating 0.03% FMNP significantly enhanced its ability to adsorb Congo red, showing a 3- to 4-fold increase compared to the hydrogel alone. The adsorption mechanism was attributed to dispersion mechanisms and the relaxation of macromolecules within a three-dimensional polymer network. This was supported by the FHGEL’s adsorption data fitting the R–P model, with the heterogeneity factor (n) value from the Sips isotherm model approaching 1.5, and a maximum adsorption capacity of 750.4 mg/g as predicted by the R–P model. The research findings indicate that all hydrogels adhere to the pseudo-second-order kinetics model, suggesting that FMNP could hold promising applications in the field of nanotechnology and environmental remediation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141110680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling Degradation Behavior of Biodegradable Polymers for Medical Devices: A Comparative Review of Phenomenological and Stochastic Approaches","authors":"Saeed Sanjari,&nbsp;Payam Saraeian,&nbsp;Shahram Etemadi Haghighi,&nbsp;Ali Alinia-ziazi","doi":"10.1007/s10924-024-03285-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-024-03285-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Biodegradable polymers have a high potential in making medical devices such as absorbable esophageal and vascular stents, bone, orthopedic screws and pins, etc. One of the main challenges of using biodegradable polymers as medical devices is the loss of mechanical characteristics due to degradation. Various factors affect the degradation rate of polymers according to the environmental conditions of using these types of devices. Knowing the structural equations governing the degradation rate of polymers and predicting their mechanical performance over time are important issues that lead to the optimal design of polymer devices and their mechanical performance before clinical use and in vivo tests. The degradation behavior of biodegradable polymers can be modeled with three different approaches: “phenomenological methods,” “stochastic/probabilistic methods,” and “physio-chemical methods.” Each approach and sub-branches have used different laws and assumptions to obtain the structural degradation equations. This article reviews the types of techniques used in modeling the degradation behavior of biodegradable polymers, structural equations governing and the degradation of biodegradable polymers using the phenomenological and stochastic/probabilistic approach. The achievements and limitations of each method are discussed and analyzed. Physio-chemical methods will be discussed in another article the author intends to publish.</p><h3>Graphic Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141113679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and Characterization of Sodium Alginate-Based Bio-hybrid Super Absorbent Polymer with High Retention Capacity Suitable for Baby Diapers","authors":"Saeed Ismaeilimoghadam,&nbsp;Mehdi Jonoobi,&nbsp;Yahya Hamzeh,&nbsp;Bahareh Azimi,&nbsp;Andrea Mezzetta,&nbsp;Lorenzo Guazzelli,&nbsp;Patrizia Cinelli,&nbsp;Maurizia Seggiani,&nbsp;Serena Danti","doi":"10.1007/s10924-024-03297-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-024-03297-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Due to their capacity of water absorption, super absorbent polymers (SAPs) are greatly requested in hygienic applications, thus representing large volume products needing for a good biodegradability. This study aims to develop new SAPs for baby diapers by combining sodium alginate (SA) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) with acrylic acid (AA). The effect of different AA/SA ratios and CNC concentrations in the presence of ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator, and <i>N–N-</i>methylene bis-acrylamide (NMBA) as a cross-linker is investigated. We assess morphological and physicochemical properties of the SAPs, as well as their absorption characteristics and rheological properties. The results show that SAPs with AA/SA weight ratio of 70:30 containing 2% w/w CNC have the highest water absorption capacity, i.e., 78.4 g/g in saline solution. These SAPs also demonstrate high retention capacity and better absorption capacity under load than other SAPs. We further optimize the formulation by increasing the neutralization degree of AA and reducing the solid content, reaching an absorption capacity in the salt solution up to 100.08 g/g. Finally, the absorbent core made with fewer amounts of SAPs and fluff pulp led to functional properties superior to those of commercial baby diapers. High polysaccharide content SAPs could contribute to improve diaper sustainability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141060972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Immobilized Deep Eutectic Solvent ChCl–2ZnCl2@ZIF-8 Composite as an Efficient and Reusable Catalyst for the Methanolysis of Poly(lactic Acid)","authors":"Xiaoxu Zhu,&nbsp;Huimin Zhao,&nbsp;Hui Wang,&nbsp;Daoshan Yang,&nbsp;Fusheng Liu,&nbsp;Xiuyan Song","doi":"10.1007/s10924-024-03302-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-024-03302-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polylactic acid (PLA), as a biodegradable plastic, is considered a potential alternative to alleviate the environmental problems caused by the accumulation of petroleum-based plastic wastes. However, PLA is relatively expensive and naturally degrades very slowly. Therefore, compared to disposal, recycling PLA is more conducive to sustainable development. In this study, a novel immobilized deep eutectic solvent (DES) ChCl–2ZnCl₂@ZIF-8 was developed and used for the methanolysis of PLA to produce a valuable product methyl lactate (ML). The synthesized heterogeneous catalyst exhibits excellent thermal and chemical stability, as well as excellent catalytic performance. For example, the reaction temperature significantly decreased, the dosage of the catalyst decreased, and the PLA conversion and the ML yield were both improved, reaching 98.2% and 96.3%. After the reaction, the catalyst can be recovered through simple filtration, and reused for five times with negligible loss of catalytic activity. The catalyst was characterized by FT-IR, SEM, BET, TGA and XRD. Based on the experimental results, a possible reaction mechanism of PLA methanolysis was proposed. In addition, the kinetics of the PLA methanolysis catalyzed by ChCl–2ZnCl₂@ZIF-8 was examined and the activation energy was obtained. This work mainly provided a way of recovering catalysts and promoted the development of PLA methanolysis into ML.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141060859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biocompatible Cellulose-Based Superabsorbents for Personal Care Products","authors":"Rafael C. Rebelo,&nbsp;Blanca Vélez Báguena,&nbsp;Patrícia Pereira,&nbsp;Rui Moreira,&nbsp;Jorge F. J. Coelho,&nbsp;Arménio C. Serra","doi":"10.1007/s10924-024-03315-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-024-03315-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Personal care products are an inseparable part of urban society, but the widespread use of petroleum-based superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) poses significant environmental negative impact. To overcome this problem, we investigated the development of cellulose-based hydrogels through di-epoxide chemical crosslinking of cellulose/cellulose electrolytes in NaOH/Urea aqueous system. The aim was to exploit mechanical strength, hydrophilicity, non-toxicity, and biodegradability of cellulose as the absorbent core of personal hygiene products through a simple synthesis method. The synthesized cellulose materials significantly improved the absorption capacity of the gels by 220%, reaching up to 41 g/g. The absorption properties were influenced by the cellulose DS, crosslinking density, and fluid salinity. The hydrogels demonstrated a remarkable absorption capacity of synthetic urine (27 g/g) and underload conditions (12 g/g). Their non-cytotoxic and biodegradable nature showed their potential for the manufacturing of personal care products such as disposable diapers or daily pads.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140964543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High Performance Lithium Ion-Conducting Plasticized Biopolymer Electrolyte for Supercapacitor Application","authors":"M. Nandhinilakshmi,&nbsp;D. Vanitha,&nbsp;N. Nallamuthu,&nbsp;K. Sundaramahalingam,&nbsp;P. Saranya,&nbsp;Shameem Abdul Samad","doi":"10.1007/s10924-024-03322-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-024-03322-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Lithium-ion based Solid Polymer Electrolytes are synthesized by incorporating lithium perchlorate (LiClO₄) salt with Iota-Carrageenan (IC) / Acacia Gum (AG) plasticized with ethylene glycol (EG) by solution casting method. The X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared analysis are used to analyze the structural and molecular complexation. From the AC impedance analysis spectra, it is found that the incorporation of 15 wt% of LiClO₄ salt into a blend polymer electrolyte (IAO15) shows the maximum ionic conductivity of 2.02 × 10⁻² S/cm and minimum activation energy (0.022 eV). The conduction mechanism for IAO15 sample follows two models (CBH and QMT). The dielectric and modulus spectra confirm the non-Debye nature of the sample. From the Transference Number Measurement, it is observed that the conductivity is due to Li ions and IAO15 sample is chosen for the fabrication of a Symmetrical supercapacitor. At 3.6 Ag⁻¹ current density, the power and energy densities are noted as 7452 Wkg⁻¹ and 165.6 Whkg⁻¹ respectively.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140965083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}