Competitive and Environmentally Sustainable Bioproducts: Mild Top-Down Processing of Biomass to Renewable Carbon

Lizundia, Erlantz

doi:10.1021/acssusresmgt.4c00167

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 17 publications

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“…The excessive use of nonrenewable plastics threatens resource availability and generates large amounts of durable waste that accumulates in an uncontrolled manner in terrestrial, river, or marine ecosystems. In this context, materials derived from renewable carbon feedstock can provide an environmentally sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional plastics. , The transition from the current linear fossil-based materials to circular biobased materials that rely on abundant, nontoxic, and renewable/biodegradable sources is attracting enormous attention.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chitosan–Chitin Nanocrystal Films from Lobster and Spider Crab: Properties and Environmental Sustainability

Fernández-Marín,

Morales,

Erdocia

et al. 2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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The valorization of chitinous biomass from underutilized renewable carbon feedstock offers alternative routes for bioproduct development, reducing our dependence on nonrenewable and nonbiodegradable materials composed of fossil carbon. This work utilizes crustacean waste consisting of inedible shells to isolate chitin and its derivatives, chitin nanocrystals and chitosan, from lobster (Homarus gammarus) and spider crab (Maja squinado) shells. Chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs) with a degree of acetylation >93% and crystallinity >90% were obtained by demineralization, deproteinization and acid-hydrolysis, while chitosan was obtained by chitin deacetylation. Free-standing chitosan/ChNCs films were then fabricated from lobster and spider crab after dissolution and casting using 1.5% v/v formic acid. Lobster-derived materials exhibited a good balance between UV-shielding ability, blocking >96% of UV-C and UV-B, while being transparent at visible wavelengths. Neat chitosan films are semiductile, with elongations at break >13% and Young's modulus values of 2.3 ± 0.7 and 3.4 ± 1.2 GPa for lobster and spider crab-derived chitosan, respectively. Besides, the incorporation of ChNCs increases the Young's modulus to 5.5 ± 0.8 GPa at 2 wt % for lobster-derived films. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to quantify the environmental impact of film production and identify process hotspots for future optimization. A carbon footprint of 79.8 kg CO 2 equiv•kg −1 is obtained for chitosan/ChNC films processed using a 100% renewable energy mix. Results demonstrate that lobster-derived materials are relevant contenders toward defossilization by developing renewable-carbon containing bioproducts with competitive performance against fossil-based materials due to their optical and mechanical properties, as well as their potential biodegradability.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chitosan–Chitin Nanocrystal Films from Lobster and Spider Crab: Properties and Environmental Sustainability

Fernández-Marín,

Morales,

Erdocia

et al. 2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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Fungal Chitin Nanofibrils Improve Mechanical Performance and UV-Light Resistance in Carboxymethylcellulose and Polyvinylpyrrolidone Films

Azpitarte Aretxabaleta,

Barandika,

Minguez

et al. 2024

Biomacromolecules

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Materials from renewable carbon feedstock can limit our dependence on fossil carbon and facilitate the transition from linear carbon-intensive economies to sustainable, circular economies. Chitin nanofibrils (ChNFs) isolated from white mushrooms offer remarkable environmental benefits over conventional crustacean-derived nanochitin. Herein, ChNFs are utilized to reinforce polymers of natural and fossil origin, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), respectively. Incorporation of 5 wt % ChNFs increases the Young's modulus from 1217 ± 11 to 1509 ± 22 MPa for PVP and from 1979 ± 48 to 2216 ± 102 MPa for CMC. ChNFs increase surface hydrophobicity and retard the scission of the C−H bond as a result of UV-light irradiation in both polymers under investigation. The yellowing from chain scission is reduced, while long-lasting retention of ductility is ensured. Given these results, we propose the utilization of ChNFs in sustainable polymeric materials from renewable carbon with competitive performance against fossil-based benchmark plastics.

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Halloysite Clay Nanotubes for Catalytic Conversion of Biomass: Synergy between Computational Modeling and Experimental Studies

Lisuzzo,

Guercio,

Cavallaro

et al. 2024

ACS Catal.

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Halloysite clay nanotubes (HNTs) are emerging nanomaterials for numerous environmental applications, including catalysis and biomass valorization. The efficacy of halloysite as a nanoplatform for the catalytic conversion of biomass can be accurately evaluated by combined approaches based on experimental investigations and computational modeling. Recently, many efforts have been made to properly describe the most peculiar features of halloysite by focusing on its structural and interfacial features through computational studies, which are challenging for natural clay nanoparticles yet crucial for the design of novel catalysts to be exploited in biomass conversion. Within this framework, this review critically and extensively discusses recent advancements related to the use of halloysite in different catalytic processes, such as enzymatic reactions, preciousand nonprecious-metal-and alloy-catalyzed reactions, and acid-activated mechanisms. The research gap on the computational modeling of biomass chemical conversion occurring on halloysite surfaces is highlighted throughout this review, together with the latest experimental achievements. To optimize the catalytic efficiency of halloysite-based materials for biomass valorization, future efforts should focus on the implementation of experimental data with calculations provided by proper models in a synergistic approach.

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Competitive and Environmentally Sustainable Bioproducts: Mild Top-Down Processing of Biomass to Renewable Carbon

Abstract: Bio-based products have potential to offer net environmental benefits that could be further maximized through mild top-down processing.

Cited by 3 publications

References 17 publications

Chitosan–Chitin Nanocrystal Films from Lobster and Spider Crab: Properties and Environmental Sustainability

Chitosan–Chitin Nanocrystal Films from Lobster and Spider Crab: Properties and Environmental Sustainability

Fungal Chitin Nanofibrils Improve Mechanical Performance and UV-Light Resistance in Carboxymethylcellulose and Polyvinylpyrrolidone Films

Halloysite Clay Nanotubes for Catalytic Conversion of Biomass: Synergy between Computational Modeling and Experimental Studies

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