Work

Enhanced Antioxidation and UV-Absorption Ability of Industrial Lignin via Promoting Phenolic Contents and Hydrophilicity

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Lignin possesses unique natural antioxidation and UV-absorption abilities, making it a promising ingredient for sunscreen. However, the industrial lignin produced from pulping or bioethanol production generally shows low efficiency due to the limited phenolic hydroxyl content and poor compatibility with sunscreen, respectively. To address this issue, a molten salt hydrate treatment process was carried out for the selective cleavage of ether bonds in industrial lignin. After treatment, a 2-fold increase in phenolic hydroxyl content was observed, and lignin antioxidation efficiency was improved. The intermolecular forces of lignin in water measured by an atomic force microscope showed a significant decrease from -1.46 to 0.46 mN/m, suggesting an efficient increase in lignin hydrophilicity, which promoted lignin compatibility with sunscreen. We converted industrial lignin into colloidal balls, which improved compatibility and dispersion in the cream and more than tripled the sun protection factor compared to the direct addition of industrial lignin.

Source: ACS Omega

DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c08618

Authors: Lili He, Haiping Guo, Jiayue Lu, Qiyu Liu, Xueqing Qiu

Institution: Guangdong University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Lignin and Wood Chemistry

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,935

Funders: China Association for Science and Technology, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Guangdong University of Technology, Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province