Oxidative Carboxylation of Lignin: Exploring Reactivity of Different Lignin Types.

The increased interest in the utilization of lignin in biobased applications is evident from the rise in lignin valorization studies. The present study explores the responsiveness of lignin toward oxidative valorization using acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide. The pristine lignins and their oxidized equivalents were analyzed comprehensively using NMR and SEC. The study revealed ring opening of phenolic rings yielding muconic acid- and ester-end groups and side-chain oxidations of the benzylic hydroxyls. Syringyl units were more responsive to these reactions than guaiacyl units. The high selectivity of the reaction yielded oligomeric oxidation products with a narrower dispersity than pristine lignins. Mild alkaline hydrolysis of methyl esters enhanced the carboxylic acid content of oxidized lignin, presenting the potential to adjust the carboxylic acid content of lignin. While oxidation reactions in lignin valorization are well documented, this study showed the feasibility of employing optimized oxidation conditions to engineer tailored lignin-based material precursors.

Modification of chitosan by using samarium for potential use in drug delivery system.

In the presence of hydroxyl and amine groups, chitosan is highly reactive; therefore, it could be used as a carrier in drug delivery. For this study, chitosan-Sm complexes with different concentrations of samarium from 2.5 to 25 wt.% have been successfully synthesized by the impregnation method. Chitosan combined with Sm3+ ions produced a drug carrier material with fluorescence properties; thus, it could also be used as an indicator of drug release with ibuprofen (IBU) as a model drug. We evaluated the spectroscopic and interaction properties of chitosan and Sm3+ ions, the interaction of chitosan-Sm matrices with IBU as a model drug, and the effect of Sm3+ ions addition on the chitosan ability to adsorb the drug. The result showed that the hypersensitive fluorescence intensity of chitosan-Sm (2.5 wt.%) is higher than the others, even though the adsorption efficiency of chitosan-Sm 2.5wt.% is lower (29.75%) than that of chitosan-Sm 25 wt.% (33.04%). Chitosan-Sm 25 wt.% showed the highest efficiency of adsorption of ibuprofen (33.04%). In the release process of ibuprofen from the chitosan-Sm-IBU matrix, the intensity of orange fluorescent properties in the hypersensitive peak of 4G5/2→6H7/2 transition at 590 nm was observed. Fluorescent intensity increased with the cumulative amount of IBU released; therefore, the release of IBU from the Sm-modified chitosan complex can be monitored by the changes in fluorescent intensity.