Sustainable bioplastics build on D-xylose cores: from backup to the center stage

Abstract

The widespread use of petroleum-based plastics has led to severe environmental pollution due to their poor biodegradability and the accumulation of plastic waste. As a promising alternative, bioplastics derived from renewable and biodegradable polysaccharides have attracted growing attention. In recent years, more researchers have begun to explore the development of high-performance bioplastics while preserving the sugar ring structure. This review aims to provide recent progress in the preparation and application of bioplastics that build on D-xylose cores. Modification strategies of xylan such as esterification, etherification, oxidization, graft polymerization, and chemical crosslinking, and synthetic routes of xylose-core polymers like ring-opening polymerization, polycondensation, acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization, and click polymerization have been emphasized. The potential applications of these bioplastics in agriculture, packaging, 2D/3D printing, solid polymer electrolytes, and luminescence materials are also presented. Finally, the challenges and future directions of xylose-derived bioplastics are presented, stimulating further efforts in utilizing natural and synthetic biopolymers based on biomass, ultimately contributing to realising a more sustainable and eco-friendly society.