Classification, processing and application of hydrogels: A review.

Over the coming few decades bioplastic materials are expected to complement and gradually replace some of the fossil oil based materials. Multidisciplinary research efforts have generated a significant level of technical and commercial success towards these bio-based materials. However, extensive application of these bio-based plastics is still challenged by one or more of their possible inherent limitations, such as poor processability, brittleness, hydrophilicity, poor moisture and gas barrier, inferior compatibility, poor electrical, thermal and physical properties. The incorporation of additives such as plasticizers into the biopolymers is a common practice to improve these inherent limitations. Generally, plasticizers are added to both synthetic and bio-based polymeric materials to impart flexibility, improve toughness, and lower the glass transition temperature. This review introduces the most common bio-based plastics and provides an overview of recent advances in the selection and use of plasticizers, and their effect on the performance of these materials. In addition to plasticizers, we also present a perspective of other emerging techniques of improving the overall performance of bio-based plastics. Although a wide variety of bio-based plastics are under development, this review focuses on plasticizers utilized for the most extensively studied bioplastics including poly(lactic acid), polyhydroxyalkanoates, thermoplastic starch, proteinaceous plastics and cellulose acetates. The ongoing challenge and future potentials of plasticizers for bio-based plastics are also discussed.

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Progress in bio-based plastics and plasticizing modifications

In recent years, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have been considered green solvent alternatives to conventional solvents and have attracted considerable attention. With an in-depth understanding of the common and novel properties of DESs, many of them have been prepared and applied to various areas of chemistry. To summarize the full-scale development of DESs, we reviewed this field from its inception. This review summarizes the general trends in the development of DESs and evaluates the major aspects of DESs, such as their properties, preparations, and applications. This work is expected to be helpful for the further development of DESs based on a summary of the fundamental research in the field.

Recent developments in deep eutectic solvents in chemical sciences

Glycerol-based deep eutectic solvents: Physical properties

The scientific community has been seeking cost-competitive and green solvents with good dissolving capacity for the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass. At this point, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are currently emerging as a new class of promising solvents that are generally liquid eutectic mixtures formed by self-association (or hydrogen-bonding interaction) of two or three components. DESs are attractive solvents for the fractionation (or pretreatment) of lignocellulose and the valorization of lignin, owing to the high solubility of lignin in DESs. DESs are also employed as effective media for the modification of cellulose to afford functionalized cellulosic materials, such as cellulose nanocrystals. More interestingly, biomassderived carbohydrates, such as fructose, can be used as one of the constituents of DESs and then dehydrated to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in high yield. In this review, a comprehensive summary of recent contribution of DESs to the processing of lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives is provided. Moreover, further discussion about the challenges of the application of DESs in biomass processing is presented.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/cssc.201701012

Pierre O. Jacquet

Papers

Compatibilization of starch–zein melt processed blends by an ionic liquid used as plasticizer

Deep eutectic solvents as functional additives for starch based plastics