Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

New alternatives to single‐use plastics: Starch and chitosan‐graft‐polydimethylsiloxane‐coated paper for water‐ and oil‐resistant applications

Researchers developed a fluorine-free, bio-based paper coating using starch and chitosan grafted with polydimethylsiloxane, achieving water- and oil-resistance comparable to conventional fluorochemical coatings while remaining biodegradable and compostable.

2021 Nano Select 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Chitosan–Graft–Poly(dimethylsiloxane)/Zein Coatings for the Fabrication of Environmentally Friendly Oil- and Water-Resistant Paper

Researchers developed a sustainable paper coating using chitosan-graft-poly(dimethylsiloxane) and zein biopolymers that provides oil and water resistance, offering a biodegradable alternative to conventional synthetic polymer coatings that contribute to microplastic pollution. The approach demonstrates a practical strategy for reducing plastic waste in paper packaging applications.

2020 ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Fabrication of oil‐ and water‐resistant paper without creating microplastics on disposal

Researchers developed a plastic-free, biodegradable paper coating made from chitosan and sunflower oil that provides oil and water resistance. Unlike conventional coatings, this material does not shed microplastics when disposed of, offering a promising sustainable alternative for food packaging.

2020 Journal of Applied Polymer Science 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-Based Monoepoxy-TerminatedPolysiloxane-ModifiedCoating for Hydrophobic and Oil-Resistant Paper

Researchers developed a bio-based coating material by grafting monoepoxy-terminated polysiloxane onto chitosan and cellulose nanofibers via a one-pot method, producing films with tunable hydrophobic and oil-resistant properties for sustainable packaging paper as an alternative to nondegradable plastic coatings.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Water- and Oil-Repellent Coating for Disposable Meal Boxes Based on Highly Deacetylated Chitosan

Researchers developed a sustainable, fluorine-free chitosan-based coating for paper meal boxes that provides water and oil resistance, offering an environmentally safer alternative to conventional petrochemical and fluorinated coatings that generate microplastics and PFAS contamination.

2025 Materials
Article Tier 2

Cellulose nanofibers/polyvinyl alcohol blends as an efficient coating to improve the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of paper

Researchers developed a paper coating made from cellulose nanofibers and polyvinyl alcohol and found it significantly improved paper's resistance to both water and grease while also increasing tensile strength, offering a potentially more sustainable alternative to the plastic-based coatings currently used in food packaging.

2022 Scientific Reports 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-Based Dual-Layer UV-Cured Oil- and Water-Resistant Paper Coating for Food Packaging Applications

Despite its title referencing bio-based paper coatings for food packaging, this paper studies how chitosan and plant-oil-derived coatings can replace fluorine-based chemicals on paper food packaging to resist water and oil — not microplastic pollution. It examines barrier performance and mechanical strength and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

2026 International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Article Tier 2

Fabrication of water/oil-resistant paper by nanocellulose stabilized Pickering emulsion and chitosan

Researchers developed a plastic-free, biodegradable water- and oil-resistant paper coating using cellulose nanofibrils and chitosan in a Pickering emulsion system. The coating provided excellent barrier properties against water and oil while maintaining paper recyclability and compostability. The study offers a promising alternative to conventional plastic-based food packaging coatings that contribute to microplastic pollution.

2024 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-Based Monoepoxy-Terminated Polysiloxane-Modified Coating for Hydrophobic and Oil-Resistant Paper

Researchers developed a bio-based hydrophobic and oil-resistant paper coating by grafting monoepoxy-terminated polysiloxane onto chitosan and cellulose nanofibers via a one-pot synthesis, with 1H NMR and FTIR confirming successful preparation and tunable water and oil contact angles increasing with CNF content.

2025 ACS Applied Polymer Materials
Article Tier 2

Chitosan/Montmorillonite Coatings for the Fabrication of Food-Safe Greaseproof Paper

Researchers developed a non-toxic greaseproof paper coating by combining chitosan with montmorillonite clay, finding that the composite coating significantly improved oil resistance compared to chitosan alone, offering a food-safe alternative to fluorochemical-based coatings.

2021 Polymers 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradable Polymeric Waxes for Paper Coating Applications

Scientists created degradable wax-like polymers that can coat paper packaging to make it water- and oil-resistant, offering an alternative to traditional plastic coatings. Unlike conventional plastic-coated paper, these coated papers can be broken down and recycled through standard paper repulping. This kind of innovation could help reduce the microplastic pollution that comes from plastic-coated packaging materials breaking down in the environment.

2024 ACS Applied Polymer Materials 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Boric acid-crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol): biodegradable, biocompatible, robust, and high-barrier paper coating

Researchers developed a paper coating using polyvinyl alcohol crosslinked with boric acid that significantly improves the paper's barrier properties and mechanical strength. The study found that this coating remains fully biodegradable and biocompatible despite its enhanced performance. The findings suggest a practical, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic-based packaging coatings.

2024 Green Chemistry 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Moving Toward Paperization of Packaging Industry: Use of Laponite and Montmorillonite Nanoclays for Recyclable and Biodegradable High-Barrier Paper

Researchers developed a biodegradable paper coating using polyvinyl alcohol and nanoclays (laponite and montmorillonite) that achieves oxygen barrier performance nine times better than PET plastic film. This work is directly relevant to microplastic pollution because replacing conventional plastic packaging with biodegradable, non-microplastic-forming alternatives is a key strategy for reducing environmental plastic loads.

2026 ACS Omega
Article Tier 2

Bio-based materials for barrier coatings on paper packaging

Researchers reviewed bio-based polymer coatings for paper packaging, evaluating how naturally renewable biopolymers can replace petroleum-derived synthetic coatings to provide effective oxygen, oil, and moisture barriers while reducing environmental impact.

2022 Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 140 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of Water-Dispersible Poly(dimethylsiloxane) and Its Potential Application in the Paper Coating Industry as an Alternative for PFAS-Coated Paper and Single-Use Plastics

Researchers synthesized water-dispersible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and evaluated its potential as a delivery agent and surface-treatment compound in cosmetic and biomedical applications. The water-dispersible PDMS formulations showed stable performance and could enable silicone-based functionality in aqueous formulations without conventional solvents.

2024 Polymers 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Controlled surface acetylation of cellulosics to tune biodegradability while expanding their use towards common petrochemical-based plastics

Not relevant to microplastics — this study demonstrates surface acetylation of cellulose paper fibers to improve wet strength and moisture resistance while maintaining biodegradability, positioned as an alternative to petrochemical plastics.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

High Barrier Sustainable Paper Coating Based on Engineered Polysaccharides and Natural Rubber

Researchers developed a paper-based food packaging coating using engineered polysaccharides and natural rubber that provides barrier performance approaching that of plastic films while being biodegradable and avoiding microplastic formation. The coating maintained oxygen and moisture barrier properties under stress conditions relevant to food shelf life.

2022 ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Packaging with Waterborne Acrylated Epoxidized Soybean Oil

Researchers developed a sustainable packaging material by coating kraft paper with waterborne acrylated epoxidized soybean oil. The study found that the coated paper demonstrated good water and oil resistance, compatibility with printing processes, and reached over 90% biodegradability within 90 days, offering a promising alternative to conventional plastic packaging.

2024 ACS Sustainable Resource Management 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Preparation and Characterization of Degradable Cellulose−Based Paper with Superhydrophobic, Antibacterial, and Barrier Properties for Food Packaging

Researchers prepared food packaging paper coated with polylactic acid and cinnamaldehyde as a barrier layer and nano silica-modified stearic acid as a superhydrophobic outer layer, creating a cellulose-based alternative to plastic packaging. The resulting material showed excellent water resistance, thermal stability, and antimicrobial activity while being made from renewable and biodegradable components.

2022 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 51 citations
Article Tier 2

A Fully Plant-Based Water- and Oil-Resistant Paper Composite

Researchers developed a fully plant-based paper composite coated with lignin as a water- and oil-resistant alternative to plastic-coated or PFAS-treated food packaging. Optimized hot-pressing conditions produced a coating that resisted water for 100 minutes and oil for 25 minutes, and the material fully biodegraded in garden soil within 56 days.

2024 ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Development and Characterization of Thermoformed Bilayer Trays of Paper and Renewable Succinic Acid Derived Biopolyester Blends and Their Application to Preserve Fresh Pasta

This paper is not about microplastics; it describes the development of sustainable bilayer food-packaging trays made from paper and bio-based biopolyester blends as alternatives to conventional plastic packaging.

2023 Materials 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Fluorine-Free Compound Water- and Oil-Repellent: Preparation and Its Application in Molded Pulp

Researchers developed a fluorine-free, biodegradable compound repellent for molded pulp packaging by combining sodium alginate-based oil repellent and PDMS-based water repellent through cross-linking and modification. The coated pulp achieved excellent oil resistance with a kit rating of 11/12, offering a plastic-free alternative for water- and oil-resistant packaging applications.

2023 Coatings 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Recyclable and Biodegradable Paper Coating with Functionalized PLA and PBAT

Researchers developed recyclable and industrially compostable paper coatings using functionalized polylactic acid and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) blends as alternatives to conventional polyester coatings. The coated paper demonstrated effective water and oil repellency, barrier properties, and mechanical performance while being fully repulpable and recyclable. Notably, the coating is free of PFAS and persistent microplastics, offering a circular economy solution for food packaging.

2025 ACS Omega 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of ε‐polylysine and chitosan functionalization on pulp board properties for food packaging

Antibacterial pulp board for food packaging was developed by applying chitosan and epsilon-polylysine coatings to wet paper sheets, as an alternative to plastic-coated food packaging. The treatment significantly improved antibacterial performance without compromising key structural properties. Paper-based packaging with natural antimicrobial coatings could replace microplastic-releasing plastic laminates in food contact applications.

2022 Journal of Applied Polymer Science 4 citations