Driven by climate urgency and fossil depletion, transitioning to sustainable carbon sources like biomass is crucial for replacing petrochemical feedstocks. Consequently, the catalytic conversion of bio-derived carbohydrates into platform chemicals offers a key route to a circular bioeconomy. The selective dehydration of carbohydrates into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a cornerstone of biomass valorization, requiring stable, high-performance catalysts derived from renewable resources. This study reports the development of a novel hybrid catalyst (CS/CR-S) synthesized through the synergistic integration of two marine biopolymers: chitosan and carrageenan. The hybrid material leverages complementary biopolymer properties: chitosan forms a robust, nitrogen-rich scaffold enabling amine-mediated cross-linking and basicity, with hydroxyl groups available for sulfonation; carrageenan provides a sulfate-rich framework with inherent sulfonates and further sulfonatable hydroxyls, enhancing acidity and porosity. Their synergy effectively promotes hydrolysis, isomerization, and dehydration reactions. Optimization via Response Surface Methodology (RSM) identified 110 °C, 90 min, and 30 wt
In order to create an optimized moxifloxacin (MOXN)-loaded hydrocolloid wound dressing (HWD) exhibiting optimal mechanical features and rapid wound healing, several MOXN-loaded HWDs were fabricated with selected constituents using the hot melting-casting method. The effects of polyisobutylene (PIBT), styrene-isoprene-styrene copolymer (SISC), petroleum hydrocarbon resin (PHCR), and sodium alginate (SLG) on the mechanical attributes of MOXN-loaded HWDs were examined. The functional contributions of sodium starch glycolate (SSGL) to the swelling ratio, stress-strain behaviours, and drug release from the refined HWD were investigated. In addition, an in vivo tissue repair potential of the optimally designed MOXN-loaded HWD was explored in comparison with the control groups using infected-excision wound model. PIBT and SISC did not contribute significantly to the mechanical characteristics; however, PHCR enhanced the tensile strength (TnS) and elongation-at-break (EtB) measurements. A 3
Developing high-performance surface sizing agents is crucial for paper-based packaging materials. In this study, a cross-linkable glycidyl methacrylate-modified polyvinyl alcohol (G-IPVA) was synthesized via copolymerization of vinyl acetate with N-(isobutoxymethyl) acrylamide (IBMA) and subsequent grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto the PVA backbone. The chemical structure was confirmed by FTIR and ¹H NMR. The effects of GMA content (0.7–3.5 wt
This study presents the development of sustainable polyester composites reinforced with Kannabis hybrid natural fiber and silane-treated dragon fruit peel-derived cellulose. The fabricated composites were evaluated for mechanical (tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness), wear, thermal conductivity, and wettability characteristics. The composite containing 30 vol.
Natural rubber (NR) and butadiene rubber (BR) are widely used in tire production due to their excellent properties; however, their flammability (with a limiting oxygen index merely around 19
