As naturally occurring and abundant sources of non-fossil carbon, lignin and lignans offer exciting possibilities as a source of commercially valuable products, moving away from petrochemical-based feedstocks in favour of renewable raw materials. Lignin can be used directly in fields such as agriculture, livestock, soil rehabilitation, bioremediation and the polymer industry, or it can be chemically modified for the fabrication of specialty and high-value chemicals such as resins, adhesives, fuels and greases. Lignin and Lignans as Renewable Raw Materials presents a multidisciplinary overview of the state-of-the-art and future prospects of lignin and lignans. The book discusses the origin, structure, function and applications of both types of compounds, describing the main resources and values of these products as carbon raw materials. Topics covered include: • Structure and physicochemical properties • Lignin detection methods • Biosynthesis of lignin • Isolation methods • Characterization and modification of lignins • Applications of modified and unmodified lignins • Lignans: structure, chemical and biological properties • Future perspectives This book is a comprehensive resource for researchers, scientists and engineers in academia and industry working on new possibilities for the application of renewable raw materials. For more information on the Wiley Series in Renewable Resources, visit www.wiley.com/go/rrs

The progressive dwindling of fossil resources, coupled with the drastic increase in oil prices, have sparked a feverish activity in search of alternatives based on renewable resources for the production of energy. Given the predominance of petroleum- and carbon-based chemistry for the manufacture of organic chemical commodities, a similar preoccupation has recently generated numerous initiatives aimed at replacing these fossil sources with renewable counterparts. In particular, major efforts are being conducted in the field of polymer science and technology to prepare macromolecular materials based on renewable resources. The concept of the bio-refinery, viz. the rational exploitation of the vegetable biomass in terms of the separation of its components and their utilisation as such, or after suitable chemical modifications, is thus gaining momentum and considerable financial backing from both the public and private sectors. This collection of chapters, each one written by internationally recognised experts in the corresponding field, covers in a comprehensive fashion all the major aspects related to the synthesis, characterization and properties of macromolecular materials prepared using renewable resources as such, or after appropriate modifications. Thus, monomers such as terpenes and furans, oligomers like rosin and tannins, and polymers ranging from cellulose to proteins and including macromolecules synthesized by microbes, are discussed with the purpose of showing the extraordinary variety of materials that can be prepared from their intelligent exploitation. Particular emphasis has been placed on recent advances and imminent perspectives, given the incessantly growing interest that this area is experiencing in both the scientific and technological realms. - Discusses bio-refining with explicit application to materials - Replete with examples of applications of the concept of sustainable development - Presents an impressive variety of novel macromolecular materials

Lignins are nature's aromatic polymers and are the second most abundant organic constituent of the biosphere next to cellulose. Lignification mainly occurs in the walls of terrestrial vascular plants, mainly in the secondarily thickened cells of supportive or conductive tissues, which thus acquire novel properties. This new volume of Advances in Botanical Research gives a special emphasis to the bioengineering of these enigmatic polymers. It is divided in nine chapters containing up-to-date reviews by expert groups in their field. - Gives a special emphasis to the bioengineering of these enigmatic polymers, lignins - Divided in nine chapters - Contains up-to-date reviews by expert groups in their field

This thesis presents novel pathways for one step or two step modifications of different types of lignin without the need of any catalyst. Such novel functional lignins were characterized in detail and are now ready for their utilization in novel polymeric materials and thus for new applications. Hereby the value of lignin can be increased by offering novel strategies of incorporating lignins as building block into polyurethanes, but also various other polymer matrices are thinkable for future studies.

Lignin-based Materials for Biomedical Applications: Preparation, Characterization, and Implementation explores the emerging area of lignin-based materials as a platform for advanced biomedical applications, guiding the reader from source through to implementation. The first part of the book introduces the basics of lignin, including extraction methods, chemical modifications, structure and composition, and properties that make lignin suitable for biomedical applications. In addition, structural characterization techniques are described in detail. The next chapters focus on the preparation of lignin-based materials for biomedical applications, presenting methodologies for lignin-based nanoparticles, hydrogels, aerogels, and nanofibers, and providing in-depth coverage of lignin-based materials with specific properties—including antioxidant properties, UV absorbing capability, antimicrobial properties, and colloidal particles with tailored properties—and applications, such as drug and gene delivery, and tissue engineering. Finally, future perspectives and possible new applications are considered. This is an essential reference for all those with an interest in lignin-based materials and their biomedical applications, including researchers and advanced students across bio-based polymers, polymer science, polymer chemistry, biomaterials, nanotechnology, materials science and engineering, drug delivery, and biomedical engineering, as well as industrial R&D and scientists involved with bio-based polymers, specifically for biomedical applications. - Unlocks the potential of lignin-based materials with advanced properties for cutting-edge applications in areas such as drug delivery, gene delivery and tissue engineering - Presents state-of-the-art methodologies used in the development of lignin-based nanoparticles, hydrogels, aerogels and nanofibers - Explains the fundamentals of lignin, including structure and composition, extraction and isolation methods, types and properties, chemical modifications, and characterization techniques

As naturally occurring and abundant sources of non-fossil carbon, lignin and lignans offer exciting possibilities as a source of commercially valuable products, moving away from petrochemical-based feedstocks in favour of renewable raw materials. Lignin can be used directly in fields such as agriculture, livestock, soil rehabilitation, bioremediation and the polymer industry, or it can be chemically modified for the fabrication of specialty and high-value chemicals such as resins, adhesives, fuels and greases. Lignin and Lignans as Renewable Raw Materials presents a multidisciplinary overview of the state-of-the-art and future prospects of lignin and lignans. The book discusses the origin, structure, function and applications of both types of compounds, describing the main resources and values of these products as carbon raw materials. Topics covered include: • Structure and physicochemical properties • Lignin detection methods • Biosynthesis of lignin • Isolation methods • Characterization and modification of lignins • Applications of modified and unmodified lignins • Lignans: structure, chemical and biological properties • Future perspectives This book is a comprehensive resource for researchers, scientists and engineers in academia and industry working on new possibilities for the application of renewable raw materials. For more information on the Wiley Series in Renewable Resources, visit www.wiley.com/go/rrs

One of the most significant challenges facing mankind in the twenty-first century is the development of a sustainable global economy. Within the scientific community, this calls for the development of processes and technologies that will allow the sustainable production of materials from renewable natural resources. Plant material, in particular lignin, is one such resource. During the annual production of about 100 million metric tons of chemical wood pulps worldwide, approximately 45 and 2 million metric tons/year of kraft lignin and lignosulfonates, respectively, are also generated. Although lignosulfonates have found many applications outside the pulp and paper industry, the majority of kraft lignin is being used internally as a low-grade fuel for the kraft pulping operation. A surplus of kraft lignin will become available as kraft mills increase their pulp production without expanding the capacity of their recovery boilers that utilize lignin as a fuel. There is a tremendous opportunity and an enormous economic incentive to find better uses of kraft lignin, lignosulfonates and other industriallignins. The pulp and paper industry not only produces an enormous amount of lignins as by products of chemical wood pulps, but it also utilizes about 10 million metric tons of lignin per year as a component of mechanical wood pulps and papers. Mechanical wood pulps, produced in a yield of 90-98% with the retention of lignin, are mainly used to make low-quality, non-permanent papers such as newsprint and telephone directories because of the light-induced photooxidation of lignin and the yellowing of the papers.