The need to produce renewable substitutes for the firmly established petroleum-based platform chemicals and polymers increases as oil reserves inescapably move toward depletion. Lignocellulosic biomass is in practice the only renewable carbon resource capable of meeting the demand for carbon-based chemicals and polymers. When considering the use of this raw material, organosolv fractionation has been shown to be among the most promising routes for lignocellulose utilization. Organosolv fractionation of biomass presents a high-potential process for the generation of renewable carbon compounds by allowing extraction and formation of structures that potentially act as direct substitutes for those existing today. One of the largely neglected polymers extracted from lignocellulosic raw materials, lignin, is also the most abundant renewable resource of aromatic compounds. To aid the transition of biomass-derived compounds into value-added products, the present work sets out the characterization of lignin extracted from beechwood through organosolv fractionation by determination of molecular weight distributions (GPC), distribution of hydroxyl groups (P-NMR), chemical characterization through FT-IR, and its further utilization in the production of antifouling coatings with enhanced antimicrobial action, which can be potentially used in marine applications. Today, biofouling of ship hulls generates significant costs through increased fuel consumption. The most common strategy to overcome this is through the application of biocide-containing paints, however, this is associated with negative environmental effects, and hence new solutions are needed. In this context, the development of green antifouling coatings based on renewable resources is of paramount importance. To develop a lignin-based coating with good antifouling properties we used a kind of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) modified polyurethane (PU) as the binder. The effect of lignin concentration of the coating was carefully studied. The composition, water contact angle, and adhesion force of the produced coatings were further characterized. In light of this, the developed lignin-based and biocide-free coatings were tested against selected biofilm producing microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, Pseudoalteromonas atlantica, Candida albicans) in order to evaluate their antimicrobial and antifouling capacities.

Renewable lignin-based coatings for marine applications

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.