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Several microalgae species have been exploited due to their great biotechnological potential for the production of a range of biomolecules that can be applied in a large variety of industrial sectors. However, the major challenge of biotechnological processes is to make them economically viable, through the production of commercially valuable compounds. Most of these compounds are accumulated inside the cells, requiring efficient technologies for their extraction, recovery and purification. Recent improvements approaching physicochemical treatments (e.g., supercritical fluid extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, pulsed electric fields, among others) and processes without solvents are seeking to establish sustainable and scalable technologies to obtain target products from microalgae with high efficiency and purity. This article reviews the currently available approaches reported in literature, highlighting some examples covering recent granted patents for the microalgae’s components extraction, recovery and purification, at small and large scales, in accordance with the worldwide trend of transition to bio-based products.

Herein we describe the obtention of polylactide stereocomplexes using a novel initiator system comprising Mg(II) and Ti(IV) centers. The stereocomplexes were successfully prepared using two different routes: by PDLA and PLLA co-precipitation from chloroform solutions and two-step diblock copolymerization. For the PDLA/PLLA mixing procedure, individual homochiral polymers were prepared in solution at different monomer/initiator ratios; whereas, the PLA stereoblock was prepared employing one-pot sequential polymerization of both chiral monomers. The products analyzed by WAXD showed the characteristic stereocrystal reflections while the high melting temperatures found in the DSC runs confirmed the formation of PLA stereocomplexes in both cases. Surprisingly, one of the stereocomplexes showed a second endothermic event at 250.1 C and to our knowledge this is the highest melting temperature reported for PLA stereocomplexes till date. These results point to the discovery of an effective initiator based on low toxicity metals for the preparation of biodegradable materials with interesting thermal properties.

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