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Fabricating Chitosan Reinforced Biodegradable Bioplastics from Plant Extract with Nature Inspired Topology

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Abstract

Renewable and biodegradable materials derived from biomass are attractive candidates to replace non-biodegradable petrochemical plastics. Bioplastics have gained the attention as great alternative to unsustainable traditional plastics and to lower carbon footprint. However, the mechanical performance and wet stability of biomass are generally insufficient for practical applications. In this study, we present a simple approach for producing high-performance biodegradable plastic from lignocellulosic plant-based resources such as Musa paradisiaca Linn (banana), Hibiscus rosasinensis (hibiscus), Mangifera indica (mango) and Prunus dulcis (almond) using in situ lignin regeneration. In this approach, the homogenous cellulose-chitosan slurry is formed by the deconstruction of leaves collected from these plants. Cellulosic bioplastic materials were produced by hydrogen bonding among acetylated cellulose, carboxymethylated chitosan, and glycerol. In SEM images, the natural lignocellulose shows a honeycomb-like structure. Additionally, it exhibits high mechanical properties, with Chi-Hi containing higher percentages (52–59%) of cellulose in bast fiber, better water stability, and thermal stability. In contrast, Chi-Mos exhibits a higher 90° θ water contact angle. Furthermore, all fabricated bioplastics have synchronous melting temperatures of 257 ± 1.3 °C. Moreover, lignocellulosic bioplastic has a lower environmental impact due to its simple recycling or secure biodegradability, resulting in an average mass loss of 35.67% after 15 days.

Graphical Abstract

Fabrication of Chitosan reinforced bioplastic with nature-based topology

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the National Institute of Technology, Raipur (Chhattisgarh), India, for financially supporting this work and infrastructure. Chinmaya Mahapatra acknowledges the National Institute of Technology Raipur for Seed Grant, Project No: NITRR/Seed Grant/2021-22/30.Chinmaya Mahapatra also gratefully acknowledged research support from the Department of Science and Technology, INDIA, Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) Sanction Order No. SRG/2022/000348. The authors thank undergraduate students C.Smitha,Komal Verma and UshaSree Pandranki for their support in this research.

Funding

CM acknowledges the National Institute of Technology Raipur for Seed Grant, Project No: NITRR/Seed Grant/2021-22/30.CM gratefully accepted the research support of Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) vide grant number SRG/2022/000348 from the Department of Science and Technology, India.

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  1. Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, 492010, India

    Dilip Kumar Chandra, Awanish Kumar & Chinmaya Mahapatra

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Chandra, D.K., Kumar, A. & Mahapatra, C. Fabricating Chitosan Reinforced Biodegradable Bioplastics from Plant Extract with Nature Inspired Topology. Waste Biomass Valor 15, 2499–2512 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-023-02293-3

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