Research Progress and Prospect of Stimuli-Responsive Lignin Functional Materials

As the world’s second most abundant renewable natural phenolic polymer after cellulose, lignin is an extremely complex, amorphous, highly cross-linked class of aromatic polyphenolic macromolecules. Due to its special structure, considered be one suitable candidates replace fossil materials, thus research on functional materials has received extensive attention. Because stimuli-sensitive groups such as hydroxyl, and carboxyl, preparation stimuli-responsive lignin-based by combining with some polymers a current hotspot. Therefore, this article will review progress in order guide subsequent work. Firstly, we elaborate source various types pretreatment methods. We then sort out discuss stimulus-responsive according different stimuli (pH, light, temperature, ions, etc.). Finally, further envision scope potential value for applications actuators, optical coding, switches, solar photothermal converters, tissue engineering, biomedicine.