Advanced and versatile lignin-derived biodegradable composite film materials toward a sustainable world

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Abstract

This review summarizes the recent advances in fabrication strategies and versatile applications of lignin-derived biodegradable film materials from the viewpoint of sustainable development.

Abstract

The excessive use of petroleum-based non-biodegradable plastic products has resulted in severe environmental pollution and ecological problems, which has stimulated the development of biodegradable and renewable alternative materials. Lignin, as the most abundant aromatic polymer with great biodegradability and biocompatibility, exhibits enormous potential for preparing various functional and sustainable materials as alternatives to plastics. Recently, lignin-derived biodegradable films have received extensive attention in both fundamental research and practical applications, and many significant achievements have been made in this field. Herein, the latest progress in the preparation and advanced applications of lignin-derived biodegradable film materials is summarized from a sustainability point of view. An introduction to the structural and chemical characteristics of lignin is presented first, and then the designs and advances of construction systems are reviewed based on the building matrixes, including lignocellulose, natural macromolecules, biodegradable synthetic copolymers, and other cutting-edge materials. In this review, the tailored applications of these film materials are mainly focused on sensors and responsive materials, energy storage systems, packaging, and biomedical materials. Finally, the main challenges of lignin-derived biodegradable film materials are presented, and potential development directions for sustainable and eco-friendly lignin-derived film materials are also proposed.

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Lignin valorization: improving lignin processing in the biorefinery.

Arthur J Ragauskas, Gregg T. Beckham, Mary J Biddy … (2014)

Research and development activities directed toward commercial production of cellulosic ethanol have created the opportunity to dramatically increase the transformation of lignin to value-added products. Here, we highlight recent advances in this lignin valorization effort. Discovery of genetic variants in native populations of bioenergy crops and direct manipulation of biosynthesis pathways have produced lignin feedstocks with favorable properties for recovery and downstream conversion. Advances in analytical chemistry and computational modeling detail the structure of the modified lignin and direct bioengineering strategies for future targeted properties. Refinement of biomass pretreatment technologies has further facilitated lignin recovery, and this coupled with genetic engineering will enable new uses for this biopolymer, including low-cost carbon fibers, engineered plastics and thermoplastic elastomers, polymeric foams, fungible fuels, and commodity chemicals.

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Lignin biosynthesis.

Wout Boerjan, John Ralph, Marie Baucher (2003)

The lignin biosynthetic pathway has been studied for more than a century but has undergone major revisions over the past decade. Significant progress has been made in cloning new genes by genetic and combined bioinformatics and biochemistry approaches. In vitro enzymatic assays and detailed analyses of mutants and transgenic plants altered in the expression of lignin biosynthesis genes have provided a solid basis for redrawing the monolignol biosynthetic pathway, and structural analyses have shown that plant cell walls can tolerate large variations in lignin content and structure. In some cases, the potential value for agriculture of transgenic plants with modified lignin structure has been demonstrated. This review presents a current picture of monolignol biosynthesis, polymerization, and lignin structure.

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Chemicals from lignin: an interplay of lignocellulose fractionation, depolymerisation, and upgrading.

W. Schutyser, B Sels, G Beckham … (2018)

In pursuit of more sustainable and competitive biorefineries, the effective valorisation of lignin is key. An alluring opportunity is the exploitation of lignin as a resource for chemicals. Three technological biorefinery aspects will determine the realisation of a successful lignin-to-chemicals valorisation chain, namely (i) lignocellulose fractionation, (ii) lignin depolymerisation, and (iii) upgrading towards targeted chemicals. This review provides a summary and perspective of the extensive research that has been devoted to each of these three interconnected biorefinery aspects, ranging from industrially well-established techniques to the latest cutting edge innovations. To navigate the reader through the overwhelming collection of literature on each topic, distinct strategies/topics were delineated and summarised in comprehensive overview figures. Upon closer inspection, conceptual principles arise that rationalise the success of certain methodologies, and more importantly, can guide future research to further expand the portfolio of promising technologies. When targeting chemicals, a key objective during the fractionation and depolymerisation stage is to minimise lignin condensation (i.e. formation of resistive carbon-carbon linkages). During fractionation, this can be achieved by either (i) preserving the (native) lignin structure or (ii) by tolerating depolymerisation of the lignin polymer but preventing condensation through chemical quenching or physical removal of reactive intermediates. The latter strategy is also commonly applied in the lignin depolymerisation stage, while an alternative approach is to augment the relative rate of depolymerisation vs. condensation by enhancing the reactivity of the lignin structure towards depolymerisation. Finally, because depolymerised lignins often consist of a complex mixture of various compounds, upgrading of the raw product mixture through convergent transformations embodies a promising approach to decrease the complexity. This particular upgrading approach is termed funneling, and includes both chemocatalytic and biological strategies.