# Aromatic Ester Bioplastics from Wood and Cellulose: Cinnamates as Greener Alternatives to Benzoates

## TL;DR

Researchers developed greener bioplastics from wood and cellulose, finding that cinnamates outperform traditional benzoates in strength and sustainability.

## Contribution

A one-pot synthesis method for cinnamate esters from raw wood is introduced, showing superior performance over benzoates and MCC.

## Key findings

- Pine esters showed 5–8 MPa tensile strength, significantly higher than MCC's 1–3 MPa.
- Cinnamates are technically superior and greener than benzoates for bioplastic production.
- Lignin in pine enhances ester properties through π–π stacking and synergistic effects.

## Abstract

What are the main findings?
Lignocellulose benzoates and cinnamates are thermoplastic.The pine esters had better properties than the MCC esters.The cinnamates had improved properties compared to benzoates.

Lignocellulose benzoates and cinnamates are thermoplastic.

The pine esters had better properties than the MCC esters.

The cinnamates had improved properties compared to benzoates.

What are the implications of the main findings?
Wood cinnamate esters are a superior alternative to cellulose benzoates.These materials could potentially be used as bioplastics for packaging.

Wood cinnamate esters are a superior alternative to cellulose benzoates.

These materials could potentially be used as bioplastics for packaging.

To address the environmental impact of petroleum-derived plastics, lignocellulose esters provide a promising renewable alternative. However, research has primarily focused on linear cellulose esters, leaving raw biomass aromatic derivatives largely overlooked. Herein, we report a one-pot, room-temperature synthesis of cinnamate and benzoate esters from microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and raw pine sawdust. A breakthrough finding reveals that pine esters consistently outperform pure MCC, achieving tensile strengths of 5–8 MPa (vs. 1–3 MPa for MCC) possibly due to a lignin-driven synergistic effect facilitating π–π stacking. The resulting films are hydrophobic (contact angles 80–100°) and fully thermoplastic. Cinnamates emerge as a technically superior and “greener” alternative to benzoates, paving the way for the direct upcycling of wood waste into sustainable packaging materials within a circular economy.