Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Cellulose processing in ionic liquids from a materials science perspective: turning a versatile biopolymer into the cornerstone of our sustainable future

This review covers two decades of research on processing cellulose using ionic liquids to create functional materials. The study provides guidance from a materials science perspective on turning this versatile biopolymer into sustainable material solutions.

2023 Green Chemistry 123 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological packaging: Creating sustainable solutions with all-natural biodegradable cellulose materials

Researchers developed a pure cellulose food packaging material by combining bacterial cellulose and ethyl cellulose — both natural, biodegradable materials — into a strong, water-resistant film that degrades naturally and avoids the microplastic pollution associated with conventional single-use plastic packaging. The material's mechanical strength, water resistance, and recyclability position it as a practical plastic replacement for food packaging.

2024 Giant 15 citations
Article Tier 2

In Situ Synthesis of Plasticized Bacterial Cellulose Films for Daily Packaging Using Biobased Plasticizers

Researchers synthesized plasticized bacterial cellulose films in situ and characterized their mechanical, optical, and barrier properties for daily packaging applications, finding the bio-based materials offered competitive performance with lower environmental impact than petroleum-based alternatives.

2025 ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Advances in green solvents for production of polysaccharide‐based packaging films: Insights of ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents

This review examined the use of green solvents including ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents for producing polysaccharide-based packaging films as sustainable plastic alternatives, noting a surge in publications over the past five years. The authors highlight the potential of these approaches to reduce reliance on fossil-fuel-derived packaging while maintaining functional film properties.

2022 Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Hydrophobic, Sustainable, High-Barrier Regenerated Cellulose Film via a Simple One-Step Silylation Reaction

Researchers developed hydrophobic, high-barrier regenerated cellulose films through a simple one-step gas-solid silylation reaction, creating a sustainable and biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based plastic packaging films.

2023 Polymers 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Dual‐Network Cellulosic Composite Bioplastic Metafilm for Plastic Substitute

Researchers created a new type of cellulose-based bioplastic film using a dual-network design strategy that overcomes common weaknesses of plant-based materials like brittleness and water sensitivity. The resulting material showed exceptional mechanical toughness and resistance to fire and moisture, making it competitive with conventional petroleum-based plastics. The study presents a promising biodegradable alternative that could help reduce plastic pollution.

2023 Angewandte Chemie International Edition 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Supramolecular IonicPolymerization: Cellulose-BasedSupramolecular Plastics with Broadly Tunable Mechanical Properties

Researchers developed a cellulose-based sustainable plastic using supramolecular ionic polymerization, finding that adding choline chloride overcame the material's inherent brittleness and produced broadly tunable mechanical properties as a potential petroleum-plastic replacement.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Supramolecular Ionic Polymerization: Cellulose-Based Supramolecular Plastics with Broadly Tunable Mechanical Properties

Researchers developed a cellulose-based supramolecular plastic by combining carboxymethyl cellulose with a hyperbranched polyguanidinium ion through ionic bonding. The resulting material demonstrated broadly tunable mechanical properties including high strength and stretchability comparable to conventional petroleum-based plastics. The study presents a promising approach for creating sustainable, biodegradable plastic alternatives from renewable biomass resources that could help reduce microplastic pollution.

2025 Journal of the American Chemical Society 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Supramolecular IonicPolymerization: Cellulose-BasedSupramolecular Plastics with Broadly Tunable Mechanical Properties

Researchers created a cellulose-based supramolecular plastic via ionic polymerization and showed that mechanical brittleness could be overcome with choline chloride addition, yielding a renewable, tunable material as a potential microplastic-free alternative to petroleum-based plastics.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable composites based on well-characterized cellulose and poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate)

Researchers developed biodegradable cellulose/PBAT composite films using a silane compatibilizer and one-step reactive extrusion, achieving improved thermal stability, barrier properties, and mechanical performance compared to unmodified blends, making them a promising sustainable alternative to conventional plastic packaging.

2023 BioResources 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of the Addition of Fique Bagasse Cellulose Nanoparticles on the Mechanical and Structural Properties of Plastic Flexible Films from Cassava Starch

This paper is not about microplastics — it develops biodegradable flexible films from cassava starch reinforced with cellulose nanoparticles derived from fique plant waste, focusing on sustainable packaging material properties.

2023 Polymers 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Engineering chitosan into fully bio-sourced, water-soluble and enhanced antibacterial poly(aprotic/protic ionic liquid)s packaging membrane

Researchers designed a water-soluble, antibacterial chitosan-based packaging film using fully bio-sourced materials, addressing growing concerns about microplastic pollution from conventional packaging. The resulting membrane showed enhanced antibacterial performance while remaining environmentally benign.

2023 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Superbase-based protic ionic liquids for cellulose filament spinning

Researchers investigated superbase-based protic ionic liquids as direct solvents for cellulose filament spinning as a more sustainable alternative to the NMMO-based lyocell process. The study compared the solvent performance and resulting fibre mechanical properties, contributing to development of eco-friendly cellulose textile production that reduces synthetic fibre and microplastic generation.

2020 Cellulose 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Ionic liquid assisted gel casting of cellulose BSG protein mixtures for packaging films

Scientists created a new type of plastic film using leftover grain from beer brewing and plant fibers, which could replace some petroleum-based packaging materials. The bio-based films are as strong as commercial packaging and block 96% of harmful UV rays, but they're not waterproof like traditional plastic wrap. This research offers a promising step toward reducing our reliance on conventional plastics, though more work is needed to make these materials water-resistant enough for widespread food packaging use.

2026 Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences
Article Tier 2

Advances in Cellulose-Based Packaging Films for Food Products

This review covers recent advances in cellulose-based packaging films as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, examining how different cellulose structures and derivatives enable versatile film properties for food packaging applications.

2023 IntechOpen eBooks 6 citations
Article Tier 2

High Oxygen Barrier Packaging Materials from Protein-rich Single-Celled Organisms

Researchers developed bioplastic packaging films and trays from protein-rich single-celled microbial biomass using glycerol as a plasticizer, producing materials with good mechanical strength and an exceptionally low oxygen transmission rate. The resulting materials outperformed many conventional fossil-based packaging films on oxygen barrier performance while offering a renewable and biodegradable alternative.

2025 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing PolyelectrolyteStrength of Biopolymersfor Fully Recyclable and Biodegradable Plastics

Researchers developed a fully recyclable and biodegradable plastic material created through solid polyelectrolyte complexation of naturally occurring biopolymers, enhancing their polyelectrolyte strength to achieve mechanical properties competitive with conventional single-use packaging plastics. The study demonstrated that this approach addresses both the microplastic pollution problem and fossil fuel dependence while enabling end-of-life recyclability.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Renewable cellulosic nanocomposites for food packaging to avoid fossil fuel plastic pollution: a review

Researchers reviewed how cellulose nanoparticles extracted from plant biomass can replace petroleum-based plastics in food packaging, finding that adding just 1–5% cellulose nanoparticles significantly improves strength, reduces oxygen and water vapor permeability, and keeps packaging biodegradable. The review positions cellulose nanocomposites as a scalable, eco-friendly alternative to fossil-fuel plastics that contribute to microplastic pollution.

2020 Environmental Chemistry Letters 222 citations
Article Tier 2

Ultrastrong and tough paper structure from densified hybrids of multiscale cellulose fibers

Scientists created a super-strong paper made from plant fibers that could replace plastic packaging and materials. This new paper is much stronger than regular paper and breaks down naturally in the environment, unlike plastic which can create harmful microplastics that end up in our food and water. The breakthrough could help reduce our exposure to plastic pollution while still giving us strong, useful materials for everyday products.

2026 Nature Communications
Article Tier 2

Xyloglucan films from tamarind kernels reinforced with chemically modified cellulose nanospheres

Researchers developed biodegradable films from tamarind kernel xyloglucan reinforced with chemically modified cellulose nanospheres as an alternative to conventional plastic food packaging. The bio-based films showed improved mechanical and barrier properties, offering a renewable approach to reducing microplastic and nanoplastic generation from the food packaging sector.

2025 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Force-Induced Alignment of Nanofibrillated Bacterial Cellulose for the Enhancement of Cellulose Composite Macrofibers

This paper is not about microplastics; it describes a method for making strong biodegradable fibers from bacterial cellulose using ionic liquid spinning as a potential replacement for petroleum-based plastics in textiles.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating the characteristics of carboxymethyl cellulose film as a possible material for green packaging

Researchers developed biodegradable carboxymethyl cellulose films from agricultural waste as a potential sustainable alternative to conventional plastic food packaging. Replacing single-use plastics with biodegradable packaging is directly relevant to reducing the source of microplastic pollution, as conventional packaging is a major contributor to plastic fragmentation in the environment.

2023 GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of functional bacterial cellulose composites from Kombucha waste for biodegradable food packaging

Researchers developed biodegradable food packaging films from bacterial cellulose grown in kombucha waste, chemically enhancing the material to achieve stronger mechanical strength and better moisture and oxygen barriers than unmodified cellulose. Unlike conventional plastic packaging that persists for centuries, these films broke down within months, offering a practical way to reduce microplastic pollution from food packaging.

2025 Discover Applied Sciences
Article Tier 2

Cellulosic Functional Bioplastic with Tunable Strength and Toughness Through Heat‐Treatment of Dynamic Covalent Networks

Researchers created a high-performance biodegradable film from cellulose and lignin using reversible chemical bonds that can be tuned through heat treatment. The material achieves impressive mechanical properties with tensile strength up to 52 MPa and elongation up to 545%, along with UV shielding and oxygen barrier capabilities. The study presents a scalable approach for producing recyclable bioplastics that could serve as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics.

2025 Advanced Science 6 citations