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The use of vegetable oils and their derivatives for polymer synthesis has been a major focus in recent years due to their universal availability, low production costs and biodegradability. In this study, the enzymatic synthesis of oligoesters of ricinoleic acid obtained from castor oil combined with three aromatic natural derivatives (cinnamyl alcohol, sinapic acid, and caffeic acid) was investigated. The formation of the reaction products was demonstrated by FT-IR, MALDI-TOF MS and NMR spectroscopy and for the oligo (ricinoleyl)-caffeate the thermal properties and biodegradability in sweet water were analyzed and a rheological characterization was performed. The successful enzymatic synthesis of oligoesters from ricinoleic acid and aromatic monomers using lipases not only highlights the potential of biocatalysis in green chemistry but also contributes to the development of sustainable and biodegradable methods for synthesizing products with potential applications as cosmetic ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of biopolymer-based films represents a promising direction in the packaging industry that responds to stringent needs for sustainability, reducing the ecological impact. Traditional fossil-derived polymers present major concerns because of their long decomposition time and their significant contribution to the pollution of the environment. On the contrary, biopolymers such as chitosan, PVA, and PLA offer viable alternatives. This study aimed to obtain an innovative pH indicator for smart packaging using a synthetic non-toxic anthocyanin analogue dye incorporated in bio-based films to indicate meat freshness and quality. The pH-responsive color-changing properties of the dye make it suitable for developing intelligent films to monitor food freshness. The obtained polymeric films were characterized by FT-IR and UV–VIS spectroscopy, and their thermal properties were assessed using thermogravimetric methods. Moisture content, swelling capacity, and water solubility of the polymeric films were also evaluated. The sensitivity of the biopolymer–flavylium composite films to pH variations was studied in the pH range of 2 to 12 and noticeable color variations were observed, allowing the monitoring of the meat's quality damage through pH changes. The pH-responsive films were applied directly on the surface or in the proximity of pork and chicken meat samples, to evaluate their colorimetric response to fresh and spoilt meat. This study can be the starting point for creating more durable packaging solutions leading to a circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) advanced in the past decade as the new generation of green and sustainable extraction and reaction media in biorefineries and in a multitude of chemical and biotechnological processes. Particularly, enzyme catalyzed reactions benefit from the specific properties of DESs, which not only ensure good substrate solubility but also enhance enzyme stability and operational efficiency. Recent studies showed that natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) comprising choline chloride or betaine as hydrogen bond acceptor and a large spectrum of natural compounds, such as carbohydrates, polyols carboxylic acids, as hydrogen bond donors, can have multiple functions, acting simultaneously as extraction solvent, reaction medium, source of substrate and source as catalyst. This novel approach for the utilization of multifunctional reactive natural deep eutectic solvents (R‐NADESs) in catalytic conversions opens the way to the development of greener biocatalytic and chemo‐catalytic processes, with simpler downstream processing and minimal discarded wastes, which will speed up their durable implementation in industry. This paper reviews the innovative applications of R‐NADESs in biocatalytic reactions for the synthesis of a large diversity of high value chemicals and materials, including biosurfactants, flavors, biobased building blocks and biobased polymers, with highlight on esterification, transesterification, glycerolysis, polymerization, and redox reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scope of the current work was to synthesize an S-alkylated 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol derivative. Synthesis was carried out in two steps: in the first step, 4,5-diphenyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol was S-alkylated using a halogenated acetal and cesium carbonate. In the second step, several acetal deprotection procedures were tested, and the aldehyde obtained was isolated as a bisulfite adduct. The structures of the new compounds were characterized by FT-IR, 1D, and 2D NMR spectroscopic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of colored wastewater has been paid attention in the recent years because of the high amount of dyes, mostly carcinogenic, discharged into the water. Enzymatic degradation shows several advantages such as: shorter processing time, reduction in sludge volume and ease of controlling the process. In this work, seven different industrial dyes were tested as substrates for horseradish peroxidase. The native enzyme was covalently immobilized onto two types of epoxy-supports, different in spacer length. Among the tested dyes the highest substrate conversions were achieved for Amido Black 10 (AB10). The highest recovered activity was obtained when the epoxy-activated support with longer spacer arm was used. After ten reuse cycles for the degradation of AB10, the covalently bound peroxidase preserved about 80% of the initial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]