Pyrolysis of rice husk (RH), alkali-treated cellulose-rich rice husk (RHC), chemically modified RHC (RHCM) and RH-biocomposites by thermogravimetric analysis was carried out to determine combustion and kinetic parameters at three different heating rates of 20, 40 and 50 degrees C min-1. Combustion performance was analyzed from results of ignition temperature, burnout temperature, combustion rates, flammability index and combustion characteristic index. Increase in heating rate from 20 to 40 and further to 50 degrees C min-1 increased the onset of degradation, burnout and peak temperatures as observed by curve shifts to the right. Maximum combustion rates were around 0.57-0.59% min-1, 1.03% min-1 and 0.63-0.69% min-1 for RH, RHC and RHCM, respectively. For the RH-biocomposites, the maximum combustion rates were in a 0.76-0.97% min-1 range. Their average pre-exponential factors using KAS method were in the 2.24E-03-8.07E-03 range, respectively, while those for OFW method were in the 7.75E + 04-4.55E + 06 range, respectively. Average activation energies of RH-biocomposites were in the 41.0-58.2 kJ mol-1 and 48.3-67.7 kJ mol-1 ranges for KAS and OFW methods, respectively. The data were well fitting with coefficient of determination (R2) values close to 1. Average Delta G value ranges for RH-biocomposites ranged between 148.2 and 161.7 kJ mol-1. The low-energy barrier (<= 5.4 kJ mol-1) between activation energy and enthalpy changes indicated that reaction initiation occurs easily.

Persistent free radicals (PFR) in carbonized particles may play a role in degradation of environmental compounds. The influence of PFR is evaluated in various carbonized particles on their radical scavenging efficiency upon the common radical indicator 2-2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Carbonized particles are derived by hydrothermal carbonization of glucose (C-W) or glucose and urea (NC-W) and ionothermal carbonization of glucose and urea ionic liquid (IL) (NC-IL). The carbonized materials contain OH/COOH, C=C, and C-O functionalities. The addition of urea introduces NH/NH2 functionalities. The content of polar surface groups is lower in IL-processed NC-IL. The scavenging ability, measured as DPPH UV–vis absorption decline, increases with concentration and time for all particles, while the efficiency changes are in the order of C-W > NC-W > NC-IL. Electron paramagnetic resonance analysis reveals similar radical concentration in all carbonized materials studied. The difference in efficiency is, thus, not directly related to the PFR concentration but rather to the type of PFR, surface functionalities and/or scavenging mechanism. According to the g-values, radicals in these particles are carbon-centered. The minor variation in g-values suggests interactions between the radicals and their environmental functional groups. This provides insights into the influence of PFR in carbonized materials on their radical scavenging efficiency.

The fungus Rhizopus delemar was grown on bread waste in a submerged cultivation process and wet-laid into films. Alkali or enzyme treatments were used to isolate the fungal cell wall. A heat treatment was also applied to deactivate biological activity of the fungus. Homogenization of fungal biomass was done by an iterative ultrafine grinding process. Finally, the biomass was cast into films by a wet-laid process. Ultrafine grinding resulted in densification of the films. Fungal films showed tensile strengths of up to 18.1 MPa, a Young's modulus of 2.3 GPa and a strain at break of 1.4%. Highest tensile strength was achieved using alkali treatment, with SEM analysis showing a dense and highly organized structure. In contrast, less organized structures were obtained using enzymatic or heat treatments. A cell viability assay and fluorescent staining confirmed the biocompatibility of the films. A promising route for food waste valorization to sustainable fungal wet-laid films was established.

Intriguing phase morphology was formed through self-assembly of polylactide-polystyrene (PLA-co-PS) graft copolymers blended with polylactide (PLA). PLA-co-PS graft copolymers were synthesized by exploiting a styrene-functionalized 1,3-Dioxolan-4-one (StyDOX) monomer through a two-step procedure and their structure was confirmed. Different amounts of PLA-co-PS and commercial PLA were solution cast to blend films. Etching of amorphous PLA revealed the presence of spherical micrometer sized domains dispersed within the films, arising from the self-assembly behavior of PLA-co-PS caused by the immiscibility of PS-grafts in the PLA matrix. EDS and IR imaging analyses further revealed that these microspheres were characterized by a PS-rich core opposed to the PLA-rich outer shell, which is expected to be miscible and able to form favorable interactions with the PLA matrix. PLA/PS blends were also prepared with different loadings of PLA-co-PS. The ability of PLA-co-PS to compatibilize the two phases was assessed through rheological analyses. Finally, the possibility to chemically recycle the copolymer was evaluated. 

Food waste and fashion pollution are two of the most prominent global environmental issues. To alleviate the problems associated with food waste, while simultaneously contributing to sustainable fashion, the feasibility of making an alternative textile material with leather-like properties from fungal biomass cultivated on bread waste was investigated. The filamentous fungus, Rhizopus delemar, was successfully grown on waste bread in a submerged cultivation process, and fungal biomass was treated with vegetable tannin of chestnut wood. NMR and FTIR confirmed interactions between tannin and fungal biomass, while OM, SEM and AFM visualised the changes in the hyphae upon the tannin treatment. Thermal stability was assessed using TGA analysis. The wet-laid technique commonly utilised for paper-making was used to prepare sheets of hyphae. Some of the sheets were treated with glycerol and/or a biobased binder as post-treatment. Overall, three of the produced materials exhibited leather-like properties comparable to that of natural leather. Sheets from untreated biomass with only glycerol post-treatment showed a tensile strength of 7.7 MPa and an elongation at break of 5%. Whereas sheets from untreated biomass and tannin treated biomass with both glycerol and binder treatments led to tensile strengths of 7.1 MPa and 6.9 MPa, and the elongation at break of 12% and 17%, respectively. The enhancement of hydrophobicity after the binder treatment, helped to preserve the absorbed glycerol within the sheet and thereby the flexibility was retained when in contact with moisture. These findings demonstrate that bread waste derived fungal sheets have great potential as environmentally friendly materials with leather-like properties.

Purpose: To investigate whether contact lenses used after surgery for congenital cataracts act as a depot for dexamethasone, which would allow the prescribed amount of drops to be reduced, and to examine whether the preservative benzalkonium chloride accumulates in the contact lens matrix, which would suggest a need for more frequent replacements. Methods: Contact lenses (n = 10) worn by infants treated with dexamethasone eye drops after congenital cataract surgery were analysed with scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis, 1H-NMR and LDI-MS for chemical deposits and for changes on the contact lens surface. Unused lenses (n = 5) and lenses (n = 4) from patients with no eye drop treatment were analysed as reference. Results: The treated contact lenses displayed ruptured surfaces in comparison with unused and reference lenses. Dexamethasone and BAK were not detected in any of the lenses. A polyethylene oxide component was found in the treated lenses, likely originating from the dexamethasone eye drops or the contact lens solution. Conclusion: Dexamethasone and BAK do not accumulate in the contact lenses, and a depot effect of any clinical significance is unlikely. Therefore, the number of drops given after surgery should remain the same regardless of whether the child has contact lenses. The ruptured surface may both decrease the child’s comfort and increase the risk of microbial adhesion, and so it is recommended that contact lenses should be replaced once a month throughout the course of anti-inflammatory eye drop treatment after surgery for congenital cataract. 

Here, cell wall of a zygomycete fungus, Rhizopus delemar, grown on bread waste was wet spun into monofilaments. Using the whole cell wall material omits the common chitosan isolation and purification steps and leads to higher material utilization. The fungal cell wall contained 36.9% and 19.7% chitosan and chitin, respectively. Solid state NMR of the fungal cell wall material confirmed the presence of chitosan, chitin, and other carbohydrates. Hydrogels were prepared by ultrafine grinding of the cell wall, followed by addition of lactic acid to protonate the amino groups of chitosan, and subsequently wet spun into monofilaments. The monofilament inhibited the growth of Bacillus megaterium (Gram+ bacterium) and Escherichia coli (Gram- bacterium) significantly (92.2% and 99.7% respectively). Cytotoxicity was evaluated using an in vitro assay with human dermal fibroblasts, indicating no toxic inducement from exposure of the monofilaments. The antimicrobial and biocompatible fungal monofilaments, open new avenues for sustainable biomedical textiles from abundant food waste. 

Carbon dots (CDs), a novel family of multifunctional carbon-nanomaterials, has the potential to revolutionize several important fields supporting the transformation to sustainable bioeconomy. CDs are characterized by attractive properties such as tunable optoelectronic and fluorescence properties, low toxicity, good biocompatibility, bioactivity and superior water solubility. Diverse methods and precursors have been applied for the synthesis of CDs. The possibility to scale-up the synthesis of CDs by employing Green Chemistry principles is a current research hotspot and a prerequisite for large-scale production and applications. Incorporation of CDs into polymer matrices, is another emerging research area with wide potential application range. This approach endows additional desirable functions and enables easy handling and reuse. This review summarizes recent progress regarding the green synthesis of CDs, the fundamental strategies for the construction of CD/polymer nanocomposites and the state-of-art applications of the CD/polymer nanocomposites in the realm of energy storage, environment and biomedicine. Finally, the outlook including challenges and future potential of CDs and CD/polymer composites are discussed.

Chemical modification of biopolymers, before use in thermo-plastic applications, can reduce the susceptibility to open environment degradation. We demonstrate carbon dots (CDs) as green photocatalytic triggers that can render the common cellulose derivative, cellulose acetate (CA), degradable under open environment relevant conditions. CD-modified cellulose acetate (CA + CD) films were subjected to UV-A irradiation in air and simulated sea water, and the degradation process was mapped by multiple spectroscopic, chromatographic, and microscopy techniques. The addition of CDs effectively catalyzed the deacetylation reaction, the bottleneck preventing biodegradation of CA. The photocatalytically activated degradation process led to significant weight loss, release of small molecules, and regeneration of cellulose fibers. The weight loss of CA + CD after 30 days of UV-A irradiation in air or simulated sea water was 53 and 43%, respectively, while the corresponding values for plain CA films were 12 and 4%. At the same time the weight average molar mass of CA + CD decreased from 62,000 to 11,000 g/mol and 15,000 g/mol during UV-A irradiation in air and simulated sea water, respectively, and the degree of substitution (DS) decreased from 2.2 to 1.6 both in air and in water. The aging in water alone did not affect the weight average molar mass, but the DS was decreased to 1.9. Control experiments confirmed the generation of hydrogen peroxide when aqueous CD dispersion was subjected to UV-A irradiation, indicating a free radical mechanism. These results are promising for the development of products, such as mulching films, with photocatalytically triggered environmental degradation processes.

The cell wall of a zygomycetes fungus was successfully wet spun into monofilament yarns and demonstrated as a novel resource for production of sustainable textiles. Furthermore, the fungus could be cultivated on bread waste, an abundant food waste with large negative environmental impact if not further utilized. Rhizopus delemar was first cultivated in bread waste in a bubble column bioreactor. The fungal cell wall collected through alkali treatment of fungal biomass contained 36 and 23% glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine representing chitosan and chitin in the cell wall, respectively. The amino groups of chitosan were protonated by utilizing acetic or lactic acid. This resulted in the formation of a uniform hydrogel of fungal microfibers. The obtained hydrogel was wet spun into an ethanol coagulation bath to form an aggregated monofilament, which was finally dried. SEM images confirmed the alignment of fungal microfibers along the monofilament axis. The wet spun monofilaments had tensile strengths up to 69.5 MPa and Young's modulus of 4.97 GPa. This work demonstrates an environmentally benign procedure to fabricate renewable fibers from fungal cell wall cultivated on abundant food waste, which opens a window to creation of sustainable fungal textiles.