AMP_06_September_2021

A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 8 inery as well as harsh processing condi- tions. This eco-friendly method highly simplifies plastics manufacture, making its processing and recycling more eco- nomical and sustainable. According to the researchers, their discovery offers tremendous potential applications for bioplastics in fields like biology, elec- tronics, and medicine. Currently, most plastics are man- ufactured using petrochemicals as raw materials, which is damaging to the environment in their extraction and dis- posal. In contrast, cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer on earth, constituting an almost inexhaustible source of raw material. By slightly mod- ifying a very small portion of the chem- istry of cellulose by introducing a cinna- moyl group, the researchers succeeded in making a specific CCi that is suitable for the formation of a new type of bio- plastic with hydroplastic polymers. This newly developed bioplastic consists of “hydroplastic polymers,” which become soft and malleable on contact with water. Courtesy of K. Zhang. This means that it can be mold- ed using little more than water at ev- eryday temperature and pressure. The researchers’ unique hydrosetting method enabled them to produce a variety of shapes simply by immersing the bioplastic in water and leaving it to dry in the air. The molded shapes kept their long-term stability and could be reshaped over and over again into a variety of 2D and 3D shapes. Although the plastic should not be used for di- rect contact with water—because it will lose its shape—it can hold water and be used in humid conditions. The CCi bio- plastics showed high quality mechan- ical properties when compared with commonly used plastics. “Our research provides a feasible method to design other eco-friendly hy- droplastics from renewable resources,” the scientists say. “This should open up new avenues of research, stimulating further exploration of other sustainable bioplastics with superior mechanical properties and new features.” www. uni-goettingen.de/en.