This article focuses on the development of bioinspired hybrid polymeric microspheres for the efficient removal of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) from aqueous solutions, leveraging the renewable and abundant nature of lignin as a sustainable component. The microspheres are synthesized via suspension polymerization, incorporating ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), vinyl acetate (VA), 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (VP), various acrylate monomers, silane compounds, and fractionated lignin to enhance functionality and ecofriendliness. The objective is to create thermally stable, morphologically defined sorbents with high adsorption capacity. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed excellent thermal resistance up to 305–335 °C, while scanning electron microscopy confirmed uniform spherical morphology. Sorption studies demonstrated that microspheres with low-molecular-weight lignin (KS-6) exhibited a twofold increase in adsorption capacity (q<inf>m</inf> up to 7.84 mg g−1) compared to nonlignin counterparts, attributed to enhanced hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking, and electrostatic interactions. Kinetic data best fit the pseudo-second-order model (R2 > 0.9999), indicating chemisorption as the dominant mechanism, with Freundlich isotherms suggesting multilayer adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces. These findings highlight the potential of lignin-based microspheres as cost-effective, sustainable sorbents for pharmaceutical pollutant removal, contributing to the valorization of lignin and advancing green water treatment technologies

Cork is a renewable bio-based material characterized by a closed-cell structure and a combination of thermal, acoustic, and environmental functionalities that are relevant to sustainable buildings and indoor environments. In recent years, cork has been increasingly explored beyond traditional applications, driven by growing demand for low-carbon construction and improved indoor environmental quality. This review summarizes the physical properties, cellular structure, chemical composition, and sustainability attributes of natural cork, and outlines its applications in insulation systems, green building envelopes, indoor air purification through VOC adsorption, acoustic regulation, and green infrastructure. Emerging developments in cork-based biodegradable materials, electromagnetic wave absorption, sensing technologies, energy storage, and smart indoor systems are also reviewed. By integrating material characteristics with building performance and indoor environmental functions, this review highlights cork as a versatile bio-based material for low-carbon buildings and sustainable urban environments. This journal is

This study presents a sustainable valorization strategy for Lignoboost kraft lignin by fractionating it into low-molecular-weight (LW) and high-molecular-weight (HW) fractions, alongside unfractionated softwood kraft lignin (SK). These lignins were incorporated at 0.1–1.0 wt% into UV-curable oligo (urethane-methacrylate) (OUM) protective coatings. The OUM resin was synthesized from isophorone diisocyanate, tolylene diisocyanate, poly (oxypropylene) diol, hexane-1,6-diol, and end-capped with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, with 2-ethylhexyl acrylate as reactive diluent. Coatings were prepared by blending the OUM with diurethane dimethacrylate (DUDM) as comonomer, adding lignin fractions, and curing under UV light. Fractionation significantly improved lignin compatibility with the urethane-methacrylate matrix. LW lignin fraction exhibited the best overall performance. At 0.5 wt% LW lignin, the coatings achieved the highest tensile strength (2.27 MPa), maximum elongation at break (63.2 %), and balanced Young’s modulus (2.85 MPa), while maintaining good thermal stability (Tmax = 394 °C) and markedly improved surface homogeneity (Ra = 166.6 nm at 1 wt%) compared to unfractionated SK lignin. In contrast, unfractionated SK lignin provided the highest stiffness at low loading (Young’s modulus 3.98 MPa at 0.2 wt%) but caused greater surface heterogeneity, more voids, and the largest reduction in Shore hardness. HW lignin showed intermediate behavior. The results demonstrate that solvent fractionation, particularly toward lower molecular weight, enables precise tuning of thermal stability, surface topography, mechanical strength, elasticity, and hardness of bio-based UV-curable coatings. This approach transforms an abundant industrial by-product into a high-value additive, substantially increasing the renewable content of high-performance protective coatings while delivering superior structure–property control

High production costs and sustainability issues are the main factors limiting the widespread application of carbon fibers in various industrial sectors. Lignin, a by-product from the paper and pulping industry, due to its high carbon content of up to 60%, can be considered a potential replacement for polyacrylonitrile in carbon fiber production. The production of lignins with distinct molecular weight distributions as well as group functionalities is essential to enhance high-value applications of lignin. In this study, we present a simple, green solvent-based fractionation method for LignoBoost softwood kraft lignin to obtain a lignin fraction with tailored physicochemical properties for electrospun carbon fiber production without polymeric spinning additives. Sequential solvent extraction was used to produce two fractions with distinct molecular weights: low-molecular-weight softwood kraft lignin (LMW-SKL) and high-molecular-weight softwood kraft lignin (HMW-SKL). The lignin fractions were characterized using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) for the molar mass distribution. The thermal properties of lignins were studied using thermogravimetry (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Hydroxyl group content was quantified using quantitative 31P NMR spectroscopy. We successfully demonstrated the electrospinning of a high-molecular-weight lignin fraction—obtained in high yield from the fractionation process—without the use of any additives, followed by thermal conversion to produce electrospun carbon fibers. The presented results contribute to the valorization of lignin as well as to the development of green and sustainable technologies

Lignin as the second most abundant biopolymer on Earth has the potential to become the alternative to petroleum-derived materials. It exhibits excellent UV absorption ability due to its aromatic structure and the presence of numerous phenolic, ketone, and intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Due to its complex nature, it is important to investigate its properties which is a very important step towards the valorization of lignin. Revealing its structural complexity allows for a better examination of its influence on the properties of the final lignin-based materials. In our research, we used two different kraft lignins: commercial analytical kraft lignin (AL) and industrial LignoBoost kraft lignin (KL) as UV-protect additives in BPA(Bisphenol A)-free polymer coatings based on diurethane dimethacrylate (DIUR). The maximum addition of KL and AL was 2 wt%. Both lignin samples were characterized in detail (composition analysis, ash content, molar mass and polydispersity, surface morphology, thermal properties, and quantitative measurement of hydroxyl group content). We investigated the influence of lignins on the textural and thermal properties of the coatings. Finally, we studied the application of lignin as a value-added UV-protective component by UV-Vis electronic absorption spectroscopy. KL with a higher purity and lower number of aliphatic OH had a better dispersion in the polymer matrix than AL lignin which had more agglomeration in the polymer matrix. The better dispersion resulted in producing a smoother surface in the coatings made from KL. Finally, a noticeable and significant impact of KL additive on the photoprotective properties of the coating material was demonstrated. These results showed a potential application and opportunity in the valorization of available industrial lignins toward sustainable and value-added products. 

Reducing the heterogeneity of technical lignin is essential to obtain predictable and high-performance polymeric materials that are suitable for high-value applications. Organic solvents with different polarities and solubilities can be used to fractionate lignin and reduce the complexity and diversity of its chemical structure. Among the various solvents and solvent mixtures, acetone-water mixtures offer an energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly means of lignin fractionation. In the present study, temperature-induced acetone-water fractionation was investigated to refine the properties of a technical softwood Kraft lignin, i.e., LignoBoost™ lignin. Relatively mild operating conditions were tested, namely, temperatures of 70-110°C and autogenous pressure. A factorial experimental design was developed using the Design-Expert® software, and three factors (temperature, time, and acetone concentration) were investigated. It was found that temperature-induced fractionation could increase lignin homogeneity and maintain high lignin solubilization with a short processing time (<1 h). It was also possible to tune the properties of the soluble lignin fraction (yield and weight-average molecular weight) based on the factorial models developed. The techno-economic evaluation confirmed the commercial viability of this fractionation process. 

The abundant and renewable nature of lignin obtained from wood renders it as a sustainable carbon resource for energy storage applications. However, their environmentally unfavorable processing conditions and limited energy storage performance prohibit the use of lignin-based carbon materials' use as supercapacitor electrodes. The material's properties require advancement to overcome the limitation of low specific capacitances. In this study, we report on the impact on the electrochemical performance of inherently hydrophobic lignin-based carbon fibers (LCF) by subjecting them to a mild plasma treatment. The electrode’s capacitance was thus increased by 20%, with better rate capability and energy-power performance (11 Wh/kg and 0.8 kW/kg) in the KOH electrolyte. The quantified improvements were attributed to the capacitive functional groups, and enhanced surface wettability, which increased ion accessibility to active surface area improving charge-transfer ability to the surface with more additional functional groups. Remarkably, the selected plasma conditions introduced mostly desirable functional groups that limited any parasitic faradaic reactions prone to affect the device's long-term cycling stability and self-discharge characteristics. Furthermore, the impact of different inherent and introduced oxygen surface functional groups, including COO−, COH, CO, and CO, on the capacitive performance of these fibers at different device conditions (such as cycling and electrochemical activation) was investigated in different aqueous electrolytes. To ensure environmental favorability, the electrospinning of lignin fibers was conducted using a high molecular fraction of lignin without the inclusion of any fossil-based co-spinning polymers.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are a new class of energy harvesting devices that have the potential to become a dominating technology for producing renewable energy. The versatility of their designs allows TENGs to harvest mechanical energy from sources like wind and water. Currently used renewable energy technologies have a restricted number of materials from which they can be constructed, such as metals, plastics, semiconductors, and rare-earth metals. These materials are all non-renewable in themselves as they require mining/drilling and are difficult to recycle at end of life. TENGs on the other hand can be built from a large repertoire of materials, including materials from bio-based sources. Here, a TENG constructed fully from wood-derived materials like lignin, cellulose, paper, and cardboard, thus making it 100% green, recyclable, and even biodegradable, is demonstrated. The device can produce a maximum voltage, current, and power of 232 V, 17 mA m–2, and 1.6 W m–2, respectively, which is enough to power electronic systems and charge 6.5 µF capacitors. Finally, the device is used in a smart package application as a self-powered impact sensor. The work shows the feasibility of producing renewable energy technologies that are sustainable both with respect to their energy sources and their material composition. © 2022 The Authors. 

In the search for more sustainable energy storage devices, biomass-derived materials have been widely researched as carbon source for electrode applications. Here we present the processing of high molecular lignin, an abundant carbon rich biopolymer and byproduct of the pulp and paper industry, into freestanding nonwoven carbon fiber (CNFs) electrodes by using electrospinning. It is worth mentioning that no petrol-derived polymers that are usually included in the electrospinning of lignin, were employed in this work, making these electrodes more sustainable than common lignin-derived carbon electrodes. The effect of the carbonization temperature and oxygen plasma treatment in the electrochemical performance of the CNFs as electrodes for supercapacitors was studied. The upscaling of the processing of lignin into carbon electrodes was also explored by comparing a standard electrospinning set up with a needleless electrospinning equipment that enabled faster and higher throughput. The electrochemical performance of the CNFs increased after plasma treatment of the surface and the electrodes prepared using the standard set up exhibited the highest activity, achieving specific capacitances of up to 103.6 F g−1. Copyright © 2022 Thielke, Lopez Guzman, Victoria Tafoya, García Tamayo, Castro Herazo, Hosseinaei and Sobrido.

Process-integrated, continuous, separation of lignin from kraft pulp mills which results in a ligninwith low ash content (0.05-1 %) is relatively new technology compared to traditional kraft pulping subprocesses,like recovery boilers, lime kilns, white liquor preparation etc. The LignoBoost technology wasdemonstrated in 2007 and the first commercial full-scale process started in 2013, delivered to Domtarby Valmet. This means that this concept now has been in commercial scale operation for almost 10years. There is also an alternative commercialized concept available today from another supplier,NORAM International. The idea to integrate lignin separation into a kraft pulp mill is today quite provencommercial technology.This paper will discuss different learnings, experiences, from the early development of theLignoBoost process, which includes handling of the separated lignin followed by drying. The dustexplosion risk is relatively high for dry kraft lignin due to a high kst value – so the paper will also discussif there are opportunities to reduce this risk. The paper will also briefly discuss promising productsegments for kraft lignin.