Structure–Processing–Architecture–Property Relationships and Scalability in Renewable Polymer Selection for Sustainable Biomaterials
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Renewable biopolymers are increasingly explored as alternatives to fossil-derived materials, yet bio-based origin alone does not determine performance or commercial relevance. This review compares alginate, lignin, cellulose, chitosan, and starch through an integrated structure–processing–architecture–property–scalability framework. Molecular functionality is linked to processing pathways and to the resulting coatings, fibers, crosslinked networks, porous structures, carbon materials, and composite architectures. A dedicated cross-cutting discussion then argues why three comparison axes common in the existing literature, chemistry, biodegradability, and application category, each fail, on their own, to predict which material and processing combination is actually useful for a given job, and what a comparison needs to include instead. The review closes with application-specific design rules to support material and processing selection for sustainable packaging, thermal management, water purification and separations, carbon capture, energy storage and electrocatalysis, biomedical scaffolds and controlled release, and construction materials.
Source: ChemRxiv
Author: Parastou Kharazmi
Institutions: NovaTech (United States), KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7220679936