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Sustainability
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Algae as Biomass for High Added Value Products
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Algae as Biomass for High Added Value Products

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Chemical Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2021) | Viewed by 8190

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Michela Signoretto

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Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Sciences and Nano Systems, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, and INSTM Consortium, Via Torino 155, 30172 Mestre Venezia, Italy
Interests: nanostructured materials; heterogeneous catalysts; sustainable processes; mesoporous materials; green applications; industrial processes; biomass valorization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Elena Ghedini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Sciences and Nano Systems, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Via Torino 155, 30172 Mestre Venezia, Italy
Interests: biomass valorization; nanotechnology; mesoporous materials; cosmetic formulation; drug delivery systems; industrial process

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A strategic goal of our world is the development of a sustainable society, that is, one that ‘’meets the needs of the current generation without sacrificing the ability to meet the needs of future generations’’. Catalysis, nanotechnology, and green chemistry have key roles on the road to sustainability. The synergy of these disciplines have a fundamental role in the optimization of winning strategies for biomasses enhancement. This Special Issue collects original research papers or reviews focused on investigations of innovative and green approaches for the trasformation of algae in high-added-value products (chemicals, fuels, raw materials, bio-metabolites, etc.). All applications that deal with designing chemical products and processes that generate and use less (or preferably no) hazardous substances, by applying the principles of green chemistry, are welcome for this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Michela Signoretto
Dr. Elena Ghedini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Biomass
  • Algae
  • Sustainable processes
  • Green applications
  • Green chemistry

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 6418 KiB  
Article
From Seaweeds to Cosmeceutics: A Multidisciplinar Approach
by Giorgio Grillo, Silvia Tabasso, Roberto Solarino, Giancarlo Cravotto, Clarissa Toson, Elena Ghedini, Federica Menegazzo and Michela Signoretto
Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13443; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132313443 - 04 Dec 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2235
Abstract
Macroalgae are widespread on the coasts of all the globe and lead to a negative ecological impact, requiring expensive remediations. Therefore, the valorization of invasive seaweed as a renewable source of bioactive products could represent a valid solution. In this context, three algal [...] Read more.
Macroalgae are widespread on the coasts of all the globe and lead to a negative ecological impact, requiring expensive remediations. Therefore, the valorization of invasive seaweed as a renewable source of bioactive products could represent a valid solution. In this context, three algal biomasses, belonging to brown, green, and red families (Sargassum muticum, Ulva lactuca, Solieria filiformis), collected in the venetian Laguna, were investigated as a source of active compounds for the formulation of cosmeceutics. Microwave (MW) and ultrasound (US) were applied to enhance the algae extraction by means of a hydroalcoholic solution. According to total phenolic content (TPC) evaluation, MW demonstrated the best performing outcomes, resulting in 19.77, 22.02, and 16.94 mgGAE/gExtr (30 min at 90 °C) for brown, green, and red algae, respectively. Antioxidant activity was tested as well, showing comparable trends (49.19, 26.24, and 3.02 mmolTrolox eq./gExtr for brown, green, and red algae, respectively). Due to natural algae predisposition to absorb contaminants, the metal content analysis helped to screen the applicability of these extracts, identifying Ulva lactuca as the most suitable source of antioxidants for cosmetic formulations. This MW extract was then adopted to formulate two different preparations, namely a gel and an emulsion. Thermal and mechanical tests confirmed the stability of each formulation, together with neutral organoleptic characteristics. Finally, the actives release was investigated by means of a tape stripping essay, showing an efficient controlled release for gel formulation, even after 7 h of test. The produced cosmeceutics merged non-conventional extraction technologies with formulation expertise, offering a valuable alternative to solve the macroalgae disposal issue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Algae as Biomass for High Added Value Products)
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20 pages, 1323 KiB  
Review
A Review on the Efficient Catalysts for Algae Transesterification to Biodiesel
by Elena Ghedini, Somayeh Taghavi, Federica Menegazzo and Michela Signoretto
Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10479; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su131810479 - 21 Sep 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5292
Abstract
The depletion of fossil fuel resources and increasing environmental pollution led to a trend for using alternative, clean, green, and sustainable fuel and energy resources. To attain this aim, using biomass as an alternative resource for diesel production has been a hotspot among [...] Read more.
The depletion of fossil fuel resources and increasing environmental pollution led to a trend for using alternative, clean, green, and sustainable fuel and energy resources. To attain this aim, using biomass as an alternative resource for diesel production has been a hotspot among researchers. Biodiesel has several advantages, such as being lower toxic and more renewable, and eco-friendlier than diesel from fossil fuel resources. Several edible and non-edible bio-sources were used for the production of biodiesel from the transesterification process. Algal oil as a non-edible source is considered an abundant, low cost and green substrate for biodiesel production. Various factors such as reaction conditions and the type of catalyst affect the biodiesel production process. Different catalytic systems such as basic and acidic homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts and biocatalysts were introduced for the process in the literature, and each proposed catalyst has its own advantages and disadvantages. For instance, in spite of the lower cost and better mass transfer of base and acid homogeneous catalysts, reaction system corrosion, non-reusability, and soap formation are serious challenges of these catalysts at an industrial scale. On the other hand, acid and base heterogenous catalysts overcame the issues of corrosion and recovery, but some matters such as mass transfer limitation, high cost, and weak performance in catalyzing both esterification of FFAs and transesterification of lipids must be taken into account. In addition, bio-catalysis as a high-cost process led to a purer product formation with less side reaction. Therefore, several significant factors should be considered for transesterification catalysts such as availability, cost, reusability, stability, mass transfer, and the possibility to manage both the transesterification of triglycerides and the esterification of FFAs, selecting a catalyst with predominant pros is viable. Here, a review of the biodiesel production from algal biomass focusing on the efficient catalyst of the process is presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Algae as Biomass for High Added Value Products)
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