The global wood adhesive market is dominated by formaldehyde-based resins that, despite good bonding performance, pose serious health and environmental risks. This study developed fully biobased hempseed protein adhesives modified with citric acid, glucose, and their combinations as sustainable alternatives. Hemp protein isolates were formulated and hot-pressed at 180°C for two-layer plywood bonding. Structural (FTIR, XRD, SEM), thermal (DSC, TGA), rheological, and performance (shear strength, water resistance, hydrophobicity) analyses were performed to evaluate modification effects. Citric acid introduced ester and amide crosslinks that increased dry shear strength to 3.07 MPa and elevated denaturation temperatures above 144°C. Glucose enhanced Schiff-base and Maillard-type crosslinking, yielding dry strengths up to 3.46 MPa, wet strength of 1.61 MPa, and surface hydrophobicity values exceeding 78 μg bound SDS/mg sample. Dual-modifier systems exhibited pronounced synergy, producing dense covalent networks with dry, wet, and soaked strengths of 4.76, 2.49, and 4.14 MPa, respectively. Water resistance improved markedly, with residual mass retention reaching 82.9%, and DSC confirmed cooperative stabilization with enthalpies exceeding 11 J/g and endset temperatures above 160°C. TGA revealed reduced moisture uptake and higher char yields, while rheological analysis indicated dual systems balanced elasticity and viscosity, forming stable suspensions prior to curing. These findings demonstrate that hemp protein–citric acid–glucose adhesives are high-performance, sustainable alternatives for engineered wood applications, advancing circular bioeconomy goals.

Elevated Mn(II) contamination in Northeast China's waters necessitates efficient remediation strategies. This study explores hydrothermal pretreatment (HTP) as a green route to enhance corn stalk-derived biochar for improved Mn(II) adsorption. Increasing HTP intensity (160-240 degrees C) reduced liquid pH (4.75-3.15), increased conductivity, and decreased solid yield (78.43-57.53%) due to hemicellulose and lignin decomposition via hydrolysis-repolymerization. HTP increased biochar's maximum weight loss temperature (450-493 degrees C) and thermal stability. FTIR analysis revealed that HTP biochar surfaces were enriched with aromatic CC, CO, and phenolic/aliphatic hydroxyl groups, while aliphatic -CH3/-CH2 groups were reduced compared to untreated biochar. SEM images showed the formation of microsphere formation, abundant pores, and layered structures, while BET analysis showed a 10.65-fold increase in surface area (15.62 m(2)/g) and a shift toward meso/microporosity. These structural modifications reduced hydrophilicity and polarity but enhanced aromaticity. As a result, HTP biochar achieved a high Mn(II) adsorption capacity (up to 113.47 mg/g, Langmuir-model) and rapid pseudo-second-order kinetics (k(2)<1 min(-1)). The enhanced absorption performance is attributed to the synergistic effects of pore restructuring and oxygenated functional group enrichment induced by HTP, despite reduced graphitization. These findings establish a technologically viable pathway for efficient Mn(II) decontamination in Northeast China's aquatic environments.

A comparative evaluation of cellulosic biomass from colored corn varieties including twenty cobs and seven tassels was performed to quantify their polyphenolic contents and corresponding antioxidant activity. Spectrophotometric analysis and antioxidant screening with four distinct protocols identified five polyphenol-rich cob varieties, whereas the quantified amounts in tassels were relatively lower. Variety V2458-1 contained the highest phytochemical content with total anthocyanin, condensed tannins, total phenolics, and total flavonoid concentrations of 61.22, 530.14, 111.56, and 35.90 mg per g of cob powder, respectively. HPLC and UHPLC-MS analyses were performed and 31 phytochemicals including 11 anthocyanins, 9 phenolic acids, and 11 flavonoids were identified. Ultrasonic-assisted microencapsulation with gum arabic (1

The sustainable valorization of waste biomass into high-value functional materials via advanced thermochemical processes is a critical frontier for environmental nutrient management. Herein, a novel spatial-infilling and interfacial reconstruction strategy was proposed to engineer a rice husk biochar carrier via the synergistic vacuum impregnation and co-pyrolysis of lignin sulfonate and melamine. This process induced mesopore formation, pore-structure reconstruction, and pore-size redistribution, shifting the average pore width from 28.41 to 2.71 nm while increasing the surface area from 5.42 to 120.70 m2/g. Meanwhile, sulfur-assisted nitrogen retention promoted the enrichment of Lewis-basic pyridinic-N and polarizable thiophenic-S sites. Adsorption investigations demonstrated a highly efficient, spontaneous, and exothermic multilayer urea capture capacity (Qm = 236.49 mg/g; ΔH° = -16.97 kJ/mol), driven by internal pore-filling and strong interfacial hydrogen bonding/dipole interactions. Crucially, the 2.71 nm nanoconfinement effect restricted urea crystallization, trapping the guest molecules in an amorphous state that established a robust kinetic barrier against dissolution. Multi-model release kinetics confirmed the profound suppression of the initial burst release, with the first-cycle rapid release fraction plummeting from 87.89 % (pure urea) to 13.79 %. The composite displayed a highly stable, slow-phase diffusion-governed sigmoidal profile (λ = 4.80). Pearson correlation verified that the release longevity was controlled by a dual-effect synergistic mechanism combining physical confinement within tortuous channels with robust chemical anchoring by polar functional groups, rendering this engineered biochar a highly promising nutrient delivery platform for sustainable agriculture.

Low nitrogen-use efficiency of urea fertilizers contributes to nutrient loss and environmental pollution. Here, rice husk biochar was engineered by a polymer-assisted ultrasonic cavitation strategy to realize N/S co-doping and pore-neck constriction, thereby enhancing nutrient adsorption and retention. The modification markedly optimized the biochar microstructure (increasing the specific surface area by nearly 8-fold and narrowing pore necks from 28.408 to 2.902 nm), while enriching adsorption-active sites, with pyridinic N reaching 51.10% and oxidized sulfur species increasing to 53.63%. Consequently, the urea adsorption capacity of the engineered biochar increased from 78.50 to 103.70 mgg-1. Following capillary infiltration and solidification encapsulation with molten urea, the resulting fertilizer (BCM45UF) demonstrated superior controlled-release performance. Leaching tests revealed that BCM45UF effectively suppressed the initial burst release, reducing the initial release rate by over 5-fold compared to pure urea, and extended the effective release duration from 2 to 7 cycles. Kinetic and correlation analyses confirmed that this "burst inhibition, plateau maintenance, and long-tail extension" profile is synergistically governed by structure and chemistry: large pores induce early leakage, whereas narrow pore necks and dense heteroatom sites sustain long-term release. These findings provide a scalable, coating-free route to design high-efficiency biochar carriers that mitigate nitrogen loss.

The valorization of agricultural and forestry residues into advanced functional materials represents a crucial pathway for promoting a sustainable circular bioeconomy. To unravel the impact of solid-phase carbonization kinetics, nitrogen and sulfur co-doped hierarchical porous biochars (BCMs) were engineered via the synergistic carbonization and interfacial reconstruction of rice husk with ternary natural biopolymers (lignosulfonate, carboxymethyl cellulose, and chitosan) across a controlled temperature gradient. Tracking the thermally driven evolution of the carbon lattice revealed that carbonization at an optimal temperature of 500 degrees C maximizes defect proliferation. The optimized biochar-based composite (BCM500, specific surface area of 9.802 m2/g) exhibited a high equilibrium urea adsorption capacity of 132.273 mg/g alongside robust anti-interference capabilities and a stable capacity retention of 67.9% after five regeneration cycles. Comprehensive thermodynamic and kinetic analyses, integrated with high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, elucidated that interfacial nutrient immobilization is predominantly governed by a spontaneous exothermic chemisorption process. Engineered topological defects, including pyridinic-N, pyrrolic-N, and oxidized sulfur, act as specific active centers to firmly anchor urea molecules via strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. Furthermore, a practical melt-infiltrated slow-release fertilizer (BCM500UF) formulated with this carbonaceous carrier demonstrated a prolonged and stable nutrient supply profile in dynamic aqueous environments. The synergistic intervention of hierarchical pore steric hindrance and high-energy exothermic chemical bonding effectively eliminated the initial burst release phenomenon. Quantitative mathematical modeling confirmed that the halfrelease time was extended to 3.388 leaching cycles, while the initial release intercept was suppressed to 7.191%. This work elucidates multi-site interfacial exothermic anchoring mechanisms, offering a scalable wasteto-wealth paradigm for next-generation smart agro-materials.

Defect-engineered N,S-co-doped biochar was synthesized via ultrasonic-assisted in-situ precursor assembly. This strategy triggers unique internal etching, achieving a 16-fold surface area enhancement (88.76 m2/g) over posttreatment methods. The optimized material exhibits an experimental equilibrium urea adsorption capacity of 162.64 mg/g, with a Langmuir maximum capacity of 280.54 mg/g. Mechanistically, acoustic cavitation facilitates deep precursor infiltration, while the potential additive or synergistic enrichment of Pyridinic-N and Oxidized-S at defect sites is consistent with robust chemisorption via coordination and hydrogen bonding. This work elucidates how synthesis methodology tailors the physicochemical architecture of carbon adsorbents for effective nutrient recovery.

Cotton biomass residues consist of an important portion of the agricultural byproducts. In this work, we systematically analyzed and compared the morphology and thermal properties of nine cotton biomass byproducts. The unique tubular and/or porous morphology of some samples (e.g., main stems, branch stems, and petioles) implied their structural advantage in the development of electric supercapacitors and pollutant absorbents. The higher heating values of the nine samples ranged between 17 and 20 MJ kg−1, higher than some of the other common agricultural byproducts (e.g., rice husk and sugarcane bagasse). The moisture content showed a positive correlation (p > 0.05) to the dehydration temperature of the differential scanning calorimetric plots. The residual char after thermogravimetric analysis could be separated into a high-yield cluster (34.4–26.6%) of leaf blades, bracts/peduncles, burrs, defatted meal, and petioles, and a low-yield cluster (20.5–13.6%) of main stems, branch stems, cotton gin waste, and cottonseed hull. These observations and data are useful for a better understanding of the fundamental chemistry of cotton biomass byproducts. Growing knowledge is useful for improving their recycling strategies and may shed light on the exploration of new value-added products or applications from these cotton biomass byproducts for a circular economy with sustainable agriculture.

Heat treatment of wood in the absence of oxygen is widely used in industry to enhance raw wood properties, but cannot be broadly applied to engineered wood like plywood. Most synthetic adhesives, particularly formaldehyde-based ones, degrade at high-temperatures and release toxic substances, harming the environment. This study explored protein-based adhesives for heat-treated plywood, inspired by high-temperature, controlled oxygen or non-oxygen conditions in baking. Three adhesive formulations-soy flour (SF), polyamideepichlorohydrin modified soy flour (PAE/SF), and urea formaldehyde (UF)-were used with yellow pine wood and heat-treated at 190-200 degrees C for 1-4 h. Untreated UF plywood demonstrated good dry and wet strength, but significant strength loss and complete delamination after heat treatment. Conversely, heat-treated SF plywood showed substantial improvements in wet strength, reaching 1.31 MPa at 190 degrees C for 2 hand 1.48 MPa at 200 degrees C for 1.5 h. PAE/SF plywood maintained high wet strength, peaking at 1.74 MPa at 190 degrees C for 1 h. The enhanced water resistance resulted from protein denaturation, loss of hydrophilic groups, and crosslinking during heat treatment. Maillard reactions further improved water resistance by forming covalent bonds and melanoidins. Heat treatment at 200 degrees C for 2 h also improved the dimensional stability of the plywood while maintaining acceptable bending and tensile strengths. This study highlights the potential of protein-based adhesives as an eco-friendly alternative for improving heat-treated plywood properties.

This study aimed to optimize the inoculation dosage and fermentation duration to enhance the protein content and reduce soluble oligosaccharides in soybean meal using Aspergillus oryzae and assessed its performance in dog food extrusion. A 3 × 5 factorial design was used to determine the optimal fermentation conditions. These conditions were applied to ferment soybean meal in bulk for nutritional analysis. Finally, the impact of fermentation on extrusion processing was assessed by formulating and extruding four diets: SBM (30% soybean meal), AMF (30% soybean meal with 1% Amaferm®—A. oryzae biomass), FSBM (30% fermented soybean meal), and SPI (18% soy protein isolate). Diets were extruded with a single-screw extruder, and physical characteristics of kibbles, particle size distribution, and viscosity of raw mixes were analyzed. The optimal fermentation conditions were 1 × 104 spore/g substrate for 36 h, which increased the crude protein content by 4.63% DM, methionine and cysteine total content by 0.15% DM, and eliminated sucrose, while significantly reducing stachyose, raffinose, and verbascose (95.22, 87.37, and 41.82%, respectively). The extrusion results showed that FSBM had intermediate specific mechanical energy (SME), in-barrel moisture requirements, and sectional expansion index (198.7 kJ/kg, 28.2%, and 1.80, respectively) compared with SBM (83.7 kJ/kg, 34.5%, and 1.30, respectively) and SPI (305.3 kJ/kg, 33.5%, and 2.55, respectively). The FSBM also exhibited intermediate particle size distribution and the least raw mix viscosity. These findings demonstrate that A. oryzae fermentation enhances the nutrient profile of soybean meal while improving extrusion efficiency and kibble quality, supporting its potential use as a sustainable pet food ingredient.

Traditional soy flour adhesives offer strong dry bonding but poor water resistance, limiting industrial application. This study aimed to develop a heat-resistant, lignin-enhanced soy flour adhesive for engineered wood by addressing three objectives: (1) evaluate the effect of formulation pH (7, 8, and pH shift from 8 to 7) on adhesive solubility, structure, and bonding performance; (2) assess the impact of post-press heat treatment (200 degrees C for 2 h) on adhesive durability; and (3) compare the combined effects of formulation and application treatments on mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties. Kraft lignin (25% by weight) was incorporated into soy flour adhesives, applied to 3-layer plywood via hot pressing, and tested for dry and wet shear strength, water resistance, and thermal and morphological characteristics (SEM, FTIR, TGA, DSC, DMA). Maintaining an alkaline pH (8) maximized lignin solubility, protein unfolding, and reactive site availability, yielding the highest untreated wet strength (0.47MPa). Heat treatment consistently improved water resistance across all formulations, with the pH 8 adhesive reaching the highest wet strength (1.52 MPa) and lowest film weight loss (5.05%). pH shifting offered modest gains only when combined with heat treatment. These results demonstrate that constant alkaline formulation coupled with high-temperature post-curing delivers superior wet strength, water resistance, and thermal stability without petrochemical crosslinkers, offering a sustainable, high-performance alternative for interior-grade wood adhesives.

The larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), is a major invasive pest of stored grains with the potential to expand its range across North America. While primarily associated with stored grains, this species could exploit non-grain hosts that facilitate survival and dispersal across broader geographic ranges. Previous research has shown that acorns can be a suitable food for a related stored product bostrichid. Here, we assessed the odor preference of P. truncatus for acorns from black oak (Quercus velutina), red oak (Quercus rubra), and bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) compared to maize and wheat, and analyzed their volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles. Further, we measured P. truncatus feeding and reproduction on these acorns. Results demonstrated that P. truncatus responded to volatiles of each acorn species but responded most positively to bur oak acorns. Interestingly, bur oak acorns were also more attractive than maize, its main host grain. VOC profiles showed that 3-hepten-2-one and 2-(5-methyl-furan-2-yl)-propionaldehyde were detected only in bur oak acorns, which may contribute to odor preference. Prostephanus truncatus also preferred to feed on bur oak acorns over other oak species. Among the oak species tested, F₁ progeny were detected only in bur oak acorns. These results suggest that P. truncatus exhibits host-use flexibility that enables it to utilize acorns in the absence of grains, highlighting the potential risk of landscape-level invasion by this pest in North America.

Conventional bioethanol production from starch-based crops involves high-temperature cooking, which is energy-intensive and degrades the protein quality of distiller's grains (DG), a valuable co-product. This study addresses the critical gap of reducing the energy demand and protein degradation by comparing conventional high-temperature processing with granular starch hydrolyzing enzyme (GSHE) fermentation at low temperatures. Specifically, the novelty lies in optimizing partial starch swelling treatments (50 degrees C, 60 degrees C, 70 degrees C) to enhance ethanol yields while preserving DG protein quality. Using sorghum varieties (normal and waxy) as a model system, we conducted experiments combining low- temperature starch swelling and GSHE fermentation to evaluate their impacts on ethanol yield and protein properties. Waxy sorghum exhibited higher ethanol fermentation efficiency than normal sorghum. Partial starch swelling significantly improved ethanol yield without compromising DG protein quality. GSHE fermentation with starch swelling at 70 degrees C for 30 min achieved the highest ethanol concentration (12.02 % v/v) and yield (92.74 %) for waxy sorghum. Protein digestibility remained high for both waxy (85.39 %) and normal sorghum (85.21 %) even at higher swelling temperatures. Surface hydrophobicity of DG proteins increased with temperature, particularly at 95 degrees C during conventional processing. Notably, partial starch swelling improved the lightness (L* values) of sorghum proteins, indicating better quality. Molecular characterization further revealed the specific effects of processing on protein properties. This research highlights the potential of low-temperature starch swelling combined with GSHE fermentation to enhance ethanol production efficiency and protein quality in DG, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional bioethanol processes.

Biomass serves as a promising renewable and sustainable feedstock for energy production through thermochemical conversion. It can be transformed into sustainable biofuels by means of pyrolysis. Among these methods, the pyrolytic poly-generation of biomass, a novel biomass thermal conversion technology, can concurrently produce three valuable products, namely biochar, bio-oil, and combustible gas, without generating any byproducts. In contrast, conventional thermal conversion processes, such as carbonization for biochar, liquefaction for bio-oil, gasification for syngas, and combustion for heat, only yield single products, have limited efficiency, and give rise to byproducts. Clearly, pyrolytic poly-generation holds significant advantages over conventional thermal conversion processes. Nevertheless, the pyrolytic poly-generation process and its products are remarkably influenced by numerous factors, including the raw biomass properties, pretreatment methods, operating parameters, and catalysts. This article reviews the processing parameters and technology for biomass pyrolytic poly-generation, and also explores future research areas, with the aim of identifying research gaps and promoting its industrial implementation.

Formaldehyde-based adhesives currently dominate the global market, representing over 70 % of the total adhesive usage. However, these synthetic adhesives pose significant health concerns and environmental concerns. In response, this study explores hempseed protein as a viable alternative for creating bio-based adhesives suitable for plywood applications. Hempseed flour was defatted and processed to extract proteins. Adhesive slurries were prepared with 15 % protein concentration through pH adjustment and controlled mixing. The study employed chemical modifiers such as glyoxal and zinc chloride (ZnCl2), both individually and in combination, to enhance the adhesive's strength, thermal stability, and water resistance. Adhesion tests on cherry wood veneers revealed that all modifiers, particularly glyoxal, significantly improved the dry, wet, and soaked strength, achieving maximum values of 5.69 MPa, 2.68 MPa, and 4.91 MPa, respectively. ZnCl2 contributed to performance enhancements through ionic crosslinking, yielding moderate improvements in strength and stability. However, combined treatments showed limited synergy effects between covalent and ionic crosslinking mechanisms. Glyoxal notably enhanced thermal stability with onset and denaturation temperatures increasing to 146.34 degrees C and 147.74 degrees C, respectively. SEM revealed that glyoxal produced denser, more compact adhesive networks, whereas ZnCl2 led to more moderate structural improvements. These findings demonstrated the potential of glyoxal-modified hempseed protein adhesives for engineered wood applications, offering a promising avenue toward sustainable technologies. Furthermore, ZnCl2 allows for flexible formulations, enhancing the overall utility of these bio-based adhesives.

In the context of addressing regional selenium (Se) deficiencies in China, this study undertook an investigation into the efficacy of foliar Se spray on 12 rice varieties. The primary focus was on assessing rice quality and Se enrichment in various plant components, namely grain, roots, stems, and leaves. The foliar Se spray led to an increase in soil Se content from 0.13 to 0.26 mg. Growth promotion was observed, with rice variety ZLY experiencing a height increase of 19.10 cm, while variety QYX had only a 0.90 cm increase. However, grain weight and numbers were minimally affected. Foliar Se spray had different impacts on rice quality among varieties and treatments. Specifically, variety TLY consistently had the highest numbers of brown and milled rice grains, whereas TXJ and LY had the lowest numbers of brown and milled rice grains respectively. Foliar Se spray had diverse effects on protein contents, resulting in the highest glutelin content of more than 4% and prolamin content as low as less than 0.1%, while the total protein content remained largely unchanged. Moreover, rice varieties demonstrated varying Se enrichment capacities, with the highest for varieties ZLY and QYX grain, and the lowest for LY, TXJ, and JLY grain. The results offered technical support for the selection and promotion of selenium-enriched rice, thereby presenting a potential solution to Se deficiency in China.

Sorghum is a globally significant cereal crop that can be a potential source of innovative plant proteins. Kafirin is the primary storage protein in grain sorghum. This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the physicochemical and functional properties of kafirin‐enriched proteins extracted using the glacial acetic acid method from different types of sorghums, as well as their distillers' grains (DGs), and to understand the effect of sorghum type and fermentation process on the protein properties. The protein content of extracted kafirin‐enriched proteins ranged from 75% to 85%. The α‐helix structure was predominant in the extracted proteins. SDS‐PAGE results showed that the proteins from different sorghum raw materials had similar band profiles, except that new bands in the range of 15–20 kDa and 25–37 kDa were observed for the protein samples from flours but not DGs. The surface hydrophobicity of the proteins varied between 51.37 and 59.02 μg SDS/mg protein, and the fermentation process further altered the surface hydrophobicity of the extracted proteins to some extent. The kafirin‐enriched proteins from DGs of black sorghum had slightly lower in vitro protein digestibility (around 74.80%) compared to that from other DGs (75.34%–79.33%), which may be due to the high tannin content in the black sorghum. The functional properties of the proteins varied to some extent. This study provides fundamental knowledge of the protein properties associated with different sorghum types and their DGs, which will aid in the future production and wider applications of sorghum‐derived proteins.

This study investigates the effects of freeze-thaw pretreatment on corn stover to modify porous structure of the resulting biochar for enhancing its ferrous ion (Fe-2(+)) removal from water. Corn stover was subjected to freeze-thaw cycling at -10 degrees C and -80 degrees C for 1-15 cycles prior to pyrolysis at 500 degrees C, while 20 degrees C was used as a control. Comprehensive characterization, including pH, yield, elemental composition, BET surface area, FTIR, XRD, SEM, and adsorption tests, was conducted. Results showed that freeze-thaw cycling significantly altered biomass ultrastructure and biochar properties. Pretreatment at -10 degrees C for 15 cycles, increased specific surface area to 16.13 m(2)/g, a 7.03-fold improvement over the untreated control (2.29 m(2)/g), with enhanced micropore density and honeycomb-like structures, with enhanced micropore density by 37 %, while preserving structural integrity. In contrast, ultralow temperature treatment at -80 degrees C caused pore collapse and crystallite size reduction. Freeze-thaw treatment also improved carbonization efficiency, raising carbon content from 74.34 % (control) to 80.62 % (N15), while reducing the O/C ratio from 0.15 to 0.13. Adsorption experiments demonstrated that Fe-2(+) removal efficiency increased by 42 % after five cycles at -10 degrees C, reaching a Langmuir maximum capacity of similar to 91 mg/g with strong model fitting (R-2 > 0.99). Kinetic analysis confirmed pseudo-second-order behavior, with 85 % Fe2+ removal completed within 30 min. This process also promoted corn stover acidification through cryo-mechanical lignin degradation, accompanied by a transition in biochar surface chemistry from alkaline to acidic at cycle 12. Overall, freeze-thaw pretreatment at -10 degrees C enhances biochar porosity, surface chemistry, and adsorption performance, offering a simple, low-temperature pretreatment strategy for improving ferrous ions removal from water.