A family of thermoresponsive poly­(N-isopropylacrylamide) [PNIPAM]-grafted cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) was synthesized via a novel silver-promoted decarboxylative polymerization approach. This method relies on the oxidative decarboxylation of carboxylic acid groups to initiate free radicals on the surface of CNFs. The polymerization reaction employs relatively mild reaction conditions and can be performed in a one-step, one-pot fashion. This rapid reaction forms a CC bond between CNF and PNIPAM, along with the formation of free polymer in solution. The degree of functionalization (DF) and the amount of PNIPAM grafted can be controlled by the Ag concentration in the reaction. Similar to native bulk PNIPAM, PNIPAM-grafted CNFs (PNIPAM-g-CNFs) show remarkable thermoresponsive properties, albeit exhibiting a slight hysteresis between the heating and cooling stages. Grafting PNIPAM from CNFs changes its cloud point from about 32 to 36 °C, influenced by the hydrophilic nature of CNFs. Unlike physical blending, covalently tethering PNIPAM transforms the originally inert CNFs into thermosensitive biomaterials. The Ag concentration used does not significantly change the cloud point of PNIPAM-g-CNFs, while the cloud point slightly decreases with fiber concentration. Rheological studies demonstrated the sol–gel transition of PNIPAM-g-CNFs and revealed that the storage modulus (G′) above cloud point increases with the amount of PNIPAM grafted. The novel chemistry developed paves the way for the polymerization of any vinyl monomer from the surface of CNFs and carbohydrates. This study validates a novel approach to graft PNIPAM from CNFs for the synthesis of new thermoresponsive and transparent hydrogels for a wide range of applications.

As a tropical country which has abundant of spices, Indonesia is challenged to increase the economic values of spices commodity in raw material form (wet or dry). One way to raise the economic values of these commodities is by modifying into its derivatives. Clove is one of spices commodity which can be processed furthermore into an essential oil. By transforming clove from raw material to essential oil, the economic value increases from 2 to 20 times per kilogram.  In this present research, the extraction time of clove oil using steam hydro distillation is reported. The distillation procedure was conducted in various times, that was in 3, 4, 5, and 6 hours. Furthermore, the clove oil sample that obtained from optimum extraction time was characterized using FTIR and GCMS. Then the result was compared to the commercial clove oil (100 % of purity). In support of sustainability process, then the clove buds waste from steam distillation were challenging to be one of eco-friendly packaging candidates. Two compositions of waste and additional material have been investigated in this study. It found that the best composition was composed of clove buds waste powder: recycled paper (7:3). During the casting process, some additives material was added such as tapioca (20%) and chitosan (1 %) in acid solution in order to improve its mechanical properties. Furthermore, thermal degradability of the eco-friendly packaging was studied. It was started to degrade at 286.58oC. According to this research, the cloves buds’ cardboard was quite potential to be developed as commercial eco-friendly packaging.

Cobalt-mediated radical polymerizations (CMRPs) have been initiated by the radical decarboxylation of tetrachlorophthalimide activated esters. This allows for the controlled radical polymerization of activated monomers across a broad temperature range with a single cobalt species, with the incorporation of polymer end groups derived from simple carboxylic acid derivatives and termination with an organozinc reagent. This method has been applied to the synthesis of a polymer/graphene conjugate and a water-soluble protein/polymer conjugate, demonstrating the first examples of CMRP in graphene and protein conjugation.

Indonesia is one of the largest spice-producing regions such as the Java Cardamom (Amomum compactum). The cardamom can be converted into derivative products in the form of cardamom essential oil. In this work, we attempted to extract the essential oil from the cardamom by comparing two methods of extraction which are the steam distillation and the simple distillation. The optimization factors considered on the extraction yield were solvent (ethyl acetate and n-hexane) and extraction time (3-6 h). The extraction yield obtained by both methods in ethyl acetate solvents was almost equal to that obtained in n-hexane. Also, the result obtained revealed that the extraction yield increased with time. The optimum essential oil yield was obtained by the simple distillation method in 6 hours duration time using n-hexane solvent giving the yield of 6.3 %. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify the chemical composition of the extracted oil. The results showed that the chemical composition of the essential oils is different in each extraction time. The main compounds in all oil samples were eucalyptol and camphene among four other constituents. The concentration of eucalyptol reached an optimum (90.89 - 93.74 %) at 4 – 5 h of distillation times, while the concentration of camphene reached an optimum (52.98 %) at 6 h. The purity of the essential oil was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR). Moreover, this research will help to utilize the cardamom due to its main compounds that act as herbal medicine.