There have been many efforts to valorise lignin to produce bio-based chemicals and advanced materials. In this study, alkaline delignification was initially employed to recover lignin from the rind, pulp, and whole bagasse fractions of Moroccan sugarcane. The lignin fractions were subsequently modified via silanization and acetylation reactions. The modified lignin and raw lignin were then characterised to assess changes in their physicochemical properties via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), solubility and thermogravimetric assessment, with both salinization and acetylation modification shown to enhance the solubility properties of the raw lignin of both polar and non-polar solvents. Preliminary investigations into the suitability of employing the modified lignin in hydrogel preparation were also undertaken. The preliminary hydrogels were developed using heating and freeze-thawing methods, while polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and epichlorohydrin (ECH) were used as the matrix and the crosslinking agents, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), rheological analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal analysis were then used to characterize the different lignin–PVA hydrogels. The study showed that the swelling behaviour of the hydrogels was mainly influenced by the nature of the lignin (i.e., modified or raw), and the morphology of the hydrogel surfaces varied depending on the preparation methods. The study showed that the hydrogel based on silanized lignin and PVA had superior mechanical performance and swelling capacity compared to the acetylated lignin–PVA and raw lignin–PVA hydrogels.

A new quinoline-based hydrazone, C16H12ClN3, was synthesized by a condensation reaction of 2-chloro-3-formylquinoline with phenylhydrazine. The quinoline ring system is essentially planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.012 Å), and forms a dihedral angle of 8.46 (10)° with the phenyl ring. The molecule adopts an E configuration with respect to the central C=N bond. In the crystal, molecules are linked by a C—H...π-phenyl interaction, forming zigzag chains propagating along the [10\overline{3}] direction. The N—H hydrogen atom does not participate in hydrogen bonding but is directed towards the phenyl ring of an adjacent molecule, so linking the chains via weak N—H...π interactions to form of a three-dimensional structure. The Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions to the crystal packing are from H...H (35.5%), C...H/H...C (33.7%), Cl...H/H...Cl (12.3%), N...H/H...N (9.5%) contacts.

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