Dimitrios N Bikiaris

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki | AUTH · School of Chemistry

Herein, we demonstrate the feasibility of a three-dimensional printed chitosan (CS)−poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)− gelatin (Gel) hydrogel incorporating the antimicrobial drug levofloxacin (LEV) as a potential tissue engineering scaffold. Hydrogels were prepared by physically cross-linking the polymers, and the printability of the prepared hydrogels was...

In the quest toward sustainable thermosets, research has been conducted on various polymer classes like epoxy, benzoxazines, acryl-/methacrylates, etc. One particular group that can also be utilized as sustainable inks for additive manufacturing is itaconic acid-based unsaturated polyester resins. However, due to increased viscosity of the resins,...

In the present study, poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu) and its bionanocomposites containing 1, 2.5, and 5 wt.% biochar (MSP700) were prepared via in situ melt polycondensation in order to investigate the thermal stability and decomposition mechanism of the materials. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements were carried out to analyze the...

Chitosan is a polysaccharide vastly examined in polymer science for its unique structure. In the present study, CS was derivatized with 2-methoxy-4vinylphenol (MVP) in four different ratios through a free radical reaction. The CS-MVP derivatives were characterized through FTIR, 1H-NMR, XRD, swelling, and solubility measurements. Owing to the enhanc...

This work presents the successful preparation and characterization of polylactide/poly(propylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PLA/PPF) and polylactide/poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PLA/PBF) blends in form of bulk and fiber samples and investigates the influence of poly(alkylene furanoate) (PAF) concentration (0 to 20 wt%) and compatibilization...

This work aimed to produce bio-based poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF) with a high molecular weight using 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) or its derivative dimethyl 2,5-furan dicarboxylate (DMFD), targeting food packaging applications. The effect of monomer type, molar ratios, catalyst, polycondensation time, and temperature on synthesized samples’...

The reinforcing efficiency of SBA-15-type mesoporous silica, when used as additive in epoxy polymers, was evaluated in this study. The effects of silica loading and its physicochemical characteristics on the thermal, mechanical, and viscoelastic properties of glassy and rubbery epoxy mesocomposites were examined using SBA-15 mesoporous silicas with...

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites with 0.5 wt% lignin or nanolignin were prepared with two different techniques: a) conventional melt-mixing and b) in situ Ring Opening Polymerization (ROP) by reactive processing. The ROP process was monitored by measuring the torque. The composites were synthesized rapidly using reactive processing that took unde...

A series of polymer blends based on poly(lactic acid), PLA, and poly(3,3-ethylene dithiodipropionate) PEDPA, varying in the PLA/PEDPA ratio from 90/10 to 50/50, are studied in this work. The said systems are envisaged for transdermal drug carrier systems, moreover, to be prepared using the method of electrospinning and exhibiting self-healing capab...

Industrial sites are typically located in close proximity to bodies of water, making industrial wastewater a prevalent source of pollution. Microplastics, which are plastic fragments generated from everyday activities or industrial operations and are smaller than 5 mm in size, can readily find their way into wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The...

The aim of this study is to separate PET flakes by applying floatation technique, initially from binary polymer blends and later from the mixture of five common polymers such as polypropylene, polyethylene, poly(vinyl chloride), polstyrene and poly(ethylene terephthalate). A connection line between polymer and fiber is presumed in this study, becau...

Over the past 30 years, the global consumption of pharmaceuticals has risen by almost 3 times. Despite being fundamental to the protection of human life, pharmaceuticals have been implicated as a considerable source of environmental pollution, owing to the various ways that they and their components end up into water bodies, resulting in the gradua...

The exploitation of natural fibers to reinforce polymers is a promising practice. Thus, biocomposites have gained increased attention in automotive, construction, and agricultural sectors, among others. The present work reports the reinforcement of recycled high-density polyethylene (r-HDPE) with hemp fibers to afford composite materials as sustain...

Non-isothermal crystallization of Poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu)/biochar composites was studied at various constant cooling rates using differential scanning calorimetry. The analysis of the kinetics data revealed that the overall crystallization rate and activation energy of the PBSu polymer were significantly influenced by the addition of biocha...

Silica-based ceramics doped with calcium and magnesium have been proposed as suitable materials for scaffold fabrication. Akermanite (Ca2MgSi2O7) has attracted interest for bone regeneration due to its controllable biodegradation rate, improved mechanical properties, and high apatite-forming ability. Despite the profound advantages, ceramic scaffol...

Citation: Papadopoulou, K.; Klonos, P.A.; Kyritsis, A.; Mašek, O.; Wurzer, C.; Tsachouridis, K.; Anastasiou, A.D.; Bikiaris, D.N. Synthesis and Study of Fully Biodegradable Composites Based on Poly(butylene succinate) and Biochar. Polymers 2023, 15, 1049. https://doi. Abstract: Biodegradable polymers offer a promising alternative to the global plas...

This study explores the photocatalytic transformation of the antiviral drug abacavir employing different advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as UV/TiO2, UV/MOF/H2O2, UV/MOF/S2O82−, UV/Fe2+/H2O2, and UV/Fe2+/S2O82−. All processes appear to be effective in eliminating abacavir within a few minutes, while the evolution profile of the basic transf...

Nanofillers in resin materials can improve their mechanical and physicochemical properties. The present work investigated the effects of zirconia nanoparticles (NPs) as fillers in commercial dental luting cements. Two dual-cured self-adhesive composites and one resin modified glass ionomer (RMGI) luting cement were employed. Film thickness (FT), fl...

In this work, the effect of two different types of bioactive coatings on the properties of 3D printed poly(lactic acid)/montmorillonite (PLA/MMT) nanocomposite scaffolds was examined. To improve their suitability for bone tissue engineering applications, the PLA nanocomposite scaffolds were coated with (i) ordered mesoporous Strontium bioglass (SrB...

Poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF) nanocomposites reinforced with Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were in situ synthesized in this work. PEF is a biobased polyester with physical properties and is the sustainable counterpart of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). Its low crystallizability affects the processing of t...

This work is a comparative study of four different techniques to determine the crystallinity of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) nanocomposites filled with different diameter sizes (5, 15 and 25 μm) of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) at various amounts (0.5–5 wt%). The structure of HDPE/GNPs nanocomposites was extensively studied by using different e...

Due to rising consumer demand the food packaging industry is turning increasingly to packaging materials that offer active functions. This is achieved by incorporating active compounds into the basic packaging materials. However, it is currently believed that adding active compounds as a coating over the base packaging material is more beneficial t...

Bis(oxiran-2-ylmethyl) adipate, synthesized by adipic acid, was investigated for its capability to polymerize at ambient temperature when blended with 1-(2-aminoethyl) piperazine. The object of the current work is associated to the kinetic analysis of the aforementioned epoxy-amine system, qualifying it as a potential candidate in the adhesion fiel...

Active packaging has played a significant role in consumers’ health and green environment over the years. Synthetic polymers, such as poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), polycarbonate (PC), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), etc., and naturally derived ones, such as cellulose, st...

Limitations associated with the use of linear biodegradable polyesters in the preparation of anticancer nano-based drug delivery systems (nanoDDS) have turned scientific attention to the utilization of branched-chain (co-)polymers. In this context, the present study evaluates the use of novel branched poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-based copolymers of...

Citation: Makri, S.P.; Xanthopoulou, E.; Klonos, P.A.; Grigoropoulos, A.; Kyritsis, A.; Tsachouridis, K.; Anastasiou, A.; Deligkiozi, I.; Nikolaidis, N.; Bikiaris, D.N. Effect of Micro-and Nano-Lignin on the Thermal, Mechanical, and Antioxidant Properties of Biobased PLA-Lignin Composite Films.

Citation: Terzopoulou, Z.; Xanthopoulou, E.; Pardalis, N.; Pappa, C.P.; Torofias, S.; Triantafyllidis, K.S.; Bikiaris, D.N. Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(Lactic Acid) Composites with Organosolv Lignin. Molecules 2022, 27, 8143. https://doi.

Background: Aliphatic polyesters are widely used for biomedical, pharmaceutical and environmental applications due to their high biodegradability and cost-effective production. Recently, star and hyperbranched polyesters based on glycerol and !-carboxy fatty diacids have gained considerable interest. Succinic acid and bio-based diacids similar to g...

The massive accumulation of plastics over the decades in the aquatic environment has led to the dispersion of plastic components in aquatic ecosystems, invading the food webs. Plastics fragmented into microplastics can be bioaccumulated by fishes via different exposure routes, causing several adverse effects. In the present study, the dose-dependen...

We investigate the direct and indirect effects of silica nanoparticles, NP, on the molecular mobility and crystallization of a series of polymer nanocomposites, PNCs, based on polylactide, PLA. To that aim, a sum of complementary techniques was employed, namely infrared spectroscopy, calorimetry, dielectric spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, polarize...

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a readily available, compostable biobased polyester with high strength and toughness, and it is excellent for 3D printing applications. Polymer blending is an economic and easy way to improve its properties, such as its slow degradation and crystallization rates and its small elongation, and thus, make it more versatile....

This work deals with molecular mobility in renewable block copolymers based on polylactide (PLA) and poly(propylene adipate) (PPAd). In particular, we assess non-trivial effects on the mobility arising from the implementation of crystallization. Differential scanning calorimetry, polarized light microscopy and broadband dielectric spectroscopy were...

The present study evaluates the use of novel poly(lactic acid)/poly(ethylene adipate) (PLA-PEAd) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/poly(ethylene adipate) (PLGA-PEAd) copolymers for the preparation of paclitaxel (PTX) loaded nanoparticles (NPs). Specifically, four copolymers, namely PLA-PEAd and PLGA-PEAd at 90/10 and 75/25 w/w ratio, were prepared...

In recent years, bio-based carbons derived from environmentally friendly biomass materials have received considerable attention because of their abundance, easy processability, tunable surface properties and relatively low cost. Herein, a simple, less hazardous and low-cost method for the synthesis of ultrahigh surface area activated carbon materia...

Poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF) is one of the most widely known biobased polyesters due to its outstanding gas barrier and mechanical properties, making it the number one candidate to substitute poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). However, its crystallization from the melt is much slower compared to PET, affecting the overall processing...

Two types of polyethylenes, the crosslinked high‐density polyethylene (PEX) and the short‐chain branched medium‐density polyethylene (polyethylene of raised temperature resistance [PE‐RT]), are selected as matrices for graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) nanocomposites preparation (PEX/GNPs, PE‐RT/GNPs). The melt‐mixing technique is used to synthesize th...

The thermomechanical properties of short glass fiber (GF) reinforced polypropylene random copolymer (PPR) composites are investigated. Four composites with different fiber content, namely 10, 15, 20, and 30 wt%, are prepared using melting mixing. For fibers up to 15 wt% the composites exhibit enhanced thermal stability as compared to the random pol...

High‐density polyethylene (HDPE) is one of the most popular plastics used in industry. Although it replaces many natural resources, due to the low cost and easy processing, its ever‐increasing wastes make it harmful for the environment. Thus, many processes are used in order to recycle it. In the present study, the properties of recycled HDPE (r‐HD...

This work aims at preparing bioderived polymer films by blending poly(lactic) acid (PLA) and poly(dodecylene 2,5‐furandicarboxylate) (PDoF) and containing reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as a multifunctional filler in variable weight fraction (from 0.25 to 2 phr). Although the PLA/PDoF blend results as immiscible, the addition of rGO leads to smaller...

The present study focuses on the interaction of recently synthesized unsaturated polyester resins (UPRs) with wood. The UPRs are prepared from succinic acid, maleic anhydrite, and ethylene glycol or poly(ethylene glycol) as biobased monomers and crosslinked with acrylic acid. In this framework, small 3‐ply composite specimens (0.1 × 2.5 × 10 cm) of...

Poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF) nanocomposites reinforced with various content of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were synthesized in situ in this work. PEF is a widely known biobased polyester with promising physical properties and is considered as the sustainable counterpart of PET. Despite its exceptional gas barrier and mechanical pro...

The global concern about the fate of plastic particles, including microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs), in aquatic ecosystems has undoubtedly grown as million tons of polymeric fragments are released in oceans in an annual basis. The ability of these plastic items being transferred into the several aquatic ecosystems in combination with their...

In the present work, Risperidone microparticles from poly(lactic acid)/poly(hexylene suc-cinate) (PLA-b-PHSu) block copolymers in different ratios, 95/05, 90/10 and 80/20 w/w, were examined as long-acting injectable formulations. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to verify the successful synthesis of copolymers. Enzymatic hydrolysis showed...

Despite the advantages of polylactide (PLA), its inadequate UV-shielding and gas-barrier properties undermine its wide application as a flexible packaging film for perishable items. These issues are addressed in this work by investigating the properties of melt-mixed, fully bioderived blends of polylactide (PLA) and poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF),...

The present study evaluates the use of thiolized chitosan conjugates (CS) in combination with two fundamental carbon nanoforms (carbon dots (CDs) and Hierarchical Porous Carbons (HPC)) for the preparation of intranasally (IN) administrated galantamine (GAL) nanoparticles (NPs). Initially, the modification of CS with L-cysteine (Cys) was performed,...

Bioprinting is an emerging technology with various applications in developing functional tissue constructs for the replacement of harmed or damaged tissues and simultaneously controlled drug delivery systems (DDSs) for the administration of several active substances, such as growth factors, proteins, and drug molecules. It is a novel approach that...

In the present study, the blends of CS and Vanillin–CS derivative (VACS) were utilized for the preparation of printable inks for their application in three-dimensional (3D) printing procedures. Despite the synergic interaction between the blends, the addition of ι-carrageenan (iCR) as a thickening agent was mandatory. Their viscosity analysis was c...

A series of sustainable polymeric blends based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(ethylene adipate) (PEAd), are studied herein, from the point of view of thermal transitions, crystallization and molecular mobility. The blending aims at the manipulation of the chains' mobility and crystallization of PLA, as PEAd exhibits quite lower glass transitio...

Polymer nanocomposites are an emerging technological field offering high-performance materials with unique and innovative properties, ideal for numerous advanced applications [1]. [...]

Through epistemic efforts in water remediation, numerous sorbents have emerged as either low-cost or more expensive. This review article describes the properties, functions and modifications of cost-effective sorbents based on chitosan and poly(vinyl alcohol) blends for aqueous solutions treatment from heavy metals. Interesting synthesis routes hav...

This work aims to improve the properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) for future biomedical applications by investigating the effect of montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay on physicochemical and mechanical behavior. PLA nanocomposite filaments were fabricated using different amounts of MMT (1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 wt.%) and 2 wt.% Joncryl chain extenders. The 3...

This work aims to produce poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(alkylene furanoate)s (PAF)s fiber blends for textile applications and evaluates their microstructural, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The work focuses on two PAFs with very different alkyl chain lengths, i.e., poly(ethylene 2,5−furandicarboxylate) (PEF) and poly(dodecamethylene 2...

Biobased materials have acquired a high interest as a response to the environmental concerns of consumers as well as a solution to the pressing issue of dwindling fossil resources our society is facing. In the present study, five biobased copolymers of poly(ethylene vanillate) (PEV) and poly(ethylene furanοate) (PEF) have been synthesized by bulk p...