UV-blocking Properties Research Articles

Multifunctional chromone-incorporated poly(hydroxybutyrate) luminescent film for active and intelligent food packaging

The major objective of present work was to fabricate poly(hydroxybutyrate) based luminescent films for genuine food packaging applications. These films were synthesized by incorporating varying Chromone (CH) concentrations (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 wt%) into poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) matrix through solvent-casting. Different characteristics of prepared films were examined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Mechanical testing, and Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL). UV-blocking properties and water vapor permeation were also examined. FTIR spectra indicated the occurrence of hydrogen bonding between PHB and CH. Among all prepared film samples, PHB/CH15 showed maximum tensile strength (22.5 MPa) with enhanced barrier ability against water vapor and UV rays, thermal stability, and luminescent performance. After overall analysis, PHB/CH15 film was selected to investigate its X-ray diffraction, release behavior, DPPH scavenging, and antimicrobial potential. Release kinetics revealed that the cumulative release percentage of CH was higher in fatty acid stimulant. Moreover, results suggested that this film demonstrated antioxidant activity (>55 %) and superior antimicrobial potential against Aspergillus niger, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. Furthermore, packaging of bread samples using PHB/CH15 film demonstrated the complete inhibition of microbial growth in bread up to 10 days of storage and ensure the safety of genuine food products.

Biobased ternary films of thermoplastic starch, bacterial nanocellulose and gallic acid for active food packaging

The use of active packaging technologies and biopolymeric materials are among the emerging trends for implementation of sustainability in the food packaging industry. Thus, herein, bioactive transparent nanocomposite films of thermoplastic starch (TPS) reinforced with bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) (1%, 5% and 10% w/w, relative to starch) and enriched with gallic acid (GA) (1 and 1.5% w/w, relative to starch) were prepared by the solvent casting method. The addition of BNC (≥5% w/w) and GA (1 and 1.5% w/w) enhanced both the mechanical properties (Young's Modulus: 1.2–2.0 GPa vs. 1.0 GPa for TPS; tensile strength: 23–39 MPa vs. 20 MPa for TPS) and the water resistance (moisture absorption and solubility in water) of the nanocomposites. All films are thermally stable up to 125 °C. It was also found that the addition of GA imparted the hydrocolloid TPS-BNC nanocomposites with UV-blocking properties and antioxidant activity (DPPH scavenging activity above 80%). In addition, the film with 10% w/w of BNC nanofibers and 1% w/w of GA had good oxygen barrier properties with a coefficient of permeability of 0.91 ± 0.12 cm3 μm m−2 d−1 kPa−1 and antibacterial activity against the gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (reduction of about 4.5 log10 colony forming units (CFU) mL−1 after 48 h). This is the first time that antibacterial activity is reported for TPS-BNC nanocomposites. The film with 10% w/w of BNC nanofibers and 1% w/w of GA was further demonstrated to have the ability of delaying the browning and weight loss of packaged fresh cut apple stored at +4 °C for 7 days. All these outcomes are of great relevance for the packaging sector, thus attesting the potential of the developed TPS-BNC-GA nanocomposites as sustainable and eco-friendly film materials for active food packaging.

Effect of nanodispersed zinc oxide concentrations on the structural, optical, dielectric, viscous, and acoustic properties of ethylene glycol– glycerol mixture based nanofluids

Nanofluids (NFs) are green-formulated innovative soft materials, enormously used for thermal management medium in energy harvesting/ storage and heat transport, as high breakdown voltage insulators/ nanodielectrics in electrical and energy storage systems, and in the advances of soft condensed matter device technologies. In this study, NFs consisting of ethylene glycol (EG) and glycerol (Gly) mixture in equal volumes as the base fluid and semiconductive zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles with increasing concentrations from 0.005 to 1.00 wt% are prepared and characterized by employing different advanced techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns recorded directly on these NFs confirmed the homogeneity and nanosuspension stability of ZnO particles in the hydrogen-bonded supramolecular 3D structure of viscous EG–Gly base fluid. The UV-Vis absorbance spectra explained the ZnO concentration tunable photo sensing and UV blocking properties of these semiconductive nanofluids. The 20 Hz to 1 MHz range dielectric spectra revealed high static dielectric permittivity of these NFs, at 298.15 K, confirming them as promising nanodielectric for electric energy storage devices. The dielectric dissipation factor, electric modulus, and impedance spectra confirmed that these EG–Gly/ZnO NFs have electrode polarization and conductivity relaxation processes around 200 Hz and 20 kHz, respectively. The electrical conductivity is observed in the range of 0.32– 0.65 μS/cm with a noticeable increase at the higher ZnO concentration which infers appreciable insulation performance of these NFs. The rheological measurements demonstrated Newtonian behavior of these NFs with a dynamic viscosity of about 69 mPa.s, at 298.15 K. Ultrasound velocity and various acoustic parameters of these NF materials are marginally altered with varying the ZnO concentration and revealed appreciable thermal conductivity of 0.31 W·m–1·K–1, at ambient temperature. The temperature dependent viscosity measurements of EG–Gly/1.00 wt% ZnO sample demonstrated its Arrhenius behavior with high activation energies for both the viscous and relaxation processes. These experimental results establish the EG–Gly/ZnO nanofluids as multifunctional materials for highlighting current applications and also in futuristic soft condensed matter technologies.

A continuous flow mode with a scalable tubular reactor for the green preparation of stable alkali lignin nanoparticles assisted by ultrasound

Lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) have become a hot topic recently because of their improved physicochemical properties and the excellent integration into various industrial sectors compared to lignin. However, the green large-scale production of stable LNPs severely restricts the high-value applications of LNPs. In this work, a simple and potentially scalable continuous-flow mode setup with a tubular flow reactor was designed for the green preparation of stable alkali LNPs assisted by ultrasound. When the flow rates of lignin solution and nitric acid solution were 8.00 mL/min and 2.67 mL/min respectively, and the length of the tube was 5.5 m, the average residence time of mixed solution was 62.2 s in the tubular reactor. Spheroid nanoparticles with an average size of 97.2 nm were obtained under this optimized condition. Furthermore, the results showed a better control of the mixing compared to the batch process, resulting in a homogeneous distribution of smaller particle sizes thus improving stability and UV-blocking properties. This is attributed to the better mixing and excellent mass transfer characteristics in the tube, which provides favorable conditions for the full contact and uniform dispersion of the mixed solution. More importantly, continuous flow mode makes it possible to prepare LNPs with excellent physicochemical properties on a large scale, which will bring great opportunities for the industrial production and application of LNPs.

Design of a bio-based flame retardant for polyvinyl alcohol with superior flame retardant, mechanical and UV-blocking properties

Design of a bio-based flame retardant for polyvinyl alcohol with superior flame retardant, mechanical and UV-blocking properties

Lignocellulose nanofibrils/guar gum-based ethylene scavenging composite film integrated with zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 for food packaging

Ethylene, a ripening hormone, is critical in limiting the shelf life of fresh produce, specifically climacteric fruits and vegetables. A simple and benign fabrication approach is used to transform sugarcane bagasse, an agro-industrial waste into lignocellulosic nanofibrils (LCNF). In this investigation, biodegradable film was fabricated using LCNF (extracted from sugarcane bagasse) and guar gum (GG) which was reinforced with zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF)-8/zeolite. The LCNF/GG film not only acts as a biodegradable matrix to hold the ZIF-8/zeolite composite, but also possesses ethylene scavenging, antioxidant, and UV-blocking properties. The characterization results suggested that pure LCNF showed antioxidant activity of around 69.55 %. The LCNF/GG/MOF-4 film has shown lowest UV-transmittance (5.06 %) and highest ethylene scavenging capacity (40.2 %) among all the samples. After 6 days of storage at 25 ± 2 °C, packaged control bananas samples underwent significant degradation. In contrast, a banana package consisting of LCNF/GG/MOF-4 film maintained their high quality in terms of colour. Fabricated novel biodegradable film has potential application prospects for being used in prolonging the shelf life of fresh produce.

UV-blocking composite films containing hydrophilized spruce kraft lignin and nanocellulose: Fabrication and performance evaluation

The development of biodegradable films with good UV-blocking and mechanical properties is of great significance for the alleviation of plastic pollution and the establishment of a sustainable society. Given that most natural biomass–derived films have poor mechanical and UV aging properties and are therefore of limited applicability, additives capable of mitigating these drawbacks are highly sought after. In particular, industrial alkali lignin, which is a byproduct of the pulp and paper industry, features a benzene ring–dominated structure with abundant active functional groups and is therefore a promising natural anti-UV additive and composite reinforcing agent. However, the commercial applications of alkali lignin are hindered by its structural complexity and polydispersity. Herein, spruce kraft lignin was fractionated and purified using acetone, subjected to structural characterization, and then quaternized based on the obtained structural data to increase water solubility. TEMPO-oxidized cellulose was supplemented with quaternized lignin at different loadings, and the mixtures were homogenized under high pressure to obtain uniform and stable lignin-containing nanocellulose dispersions, which were subsequently converted into films through suction filtration–based dewatering under pressure. The quaternization of lignin improved its compatibility with nanocellulose and endowed the corresponding composite films with excellent mechanical properties as well as high visible light transmission and UV-blocking performance. The film with a quaternized lignin loading of 6 % had UVA and UVB shielding efficiencies of 98.3 and 100 %, respectively, and featured a tensile strength (175.2 MPa) and elongation at break (7.6 %) that were 50.4 % and 72.7 % higher than those of the pure nanocellulose (CNF) film prepared under the same conditions, respectively. Thus, our work provides a cost-effective and viable method of preparing fully biomass–derived UV-blocking composite films.

MIL-100(Fe)-Based Composite Films for Food Packaging.

A biocompatible metal-organic framework MIL-100(Fe) loaded with the active compounds of tea tree essential oil was used to produce composite films based on κ-carrageenan and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose with the uniform distribution of the particles of this filler. The composite films featured great UV-blocking properties, good water vapor permeability, and modest antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The use of metal-organic frameworks as containers of hydrophobic molecules of natural active compounds makes the composites made from naturally occurring hydrocolloids attractive materials for active packaging of food products.

Photoprotective, antioxidant potential and DNA damage protection assay of leaf methanolic extract of Holoptelea integrifolia (Roxb) Planch and determination of some bioactive phenolic compounds by RP-HPLC

The methanolic leaf extract (MLE) of medicinally important plant Holoptelea integrifolia (Roxb.) Planch, a tree member of Ulmaceae family, exhibits prominent photoprotective and antioxidant activity mainly due to presence of phenols, flavonoids and tannins in notable amounts. Photoprotective efficacy (Sun Protection Factor value) of MLE was found to be 16.265 ± 0.0077, which can effectively block around 93% UV-B radiation. The transmission erythema (%Te) and transmission pigmentation (%Tp) values are lowest (2.4102 ± 0.620 and 3.050984 ± 0.183 respectively) at highest concentration of MLE (500 μg/ml). The antioxidant potential of MLE was evaluated by Reducing Power Assay (IC50 value: 88.52 ± 0.583 μg/ml), DPPH (IC50 value: 61.96 ± 0.721 μg/ml) and ABTS scavenging (IC50 value: 210.15 ± 0.329 μg/ml) activities. Ultraviolet (UV) ray induced DNA damage assay also revealed that MLE provide ample protection. Among the separated TLC fractions of MLE, four fractions (F2, F3, F4 & F7) were selected for further analysis. Six phenolic acids namely-tannic acid, gallic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid, trans-cinnamic acid, caffeic acid and quercetin were identified from the RP-HPLC chromatograms. Subsequent quantification of these identified phenolics revealed tannic acid as a dominant compound in F2 (45.06 ± 0.241 μg/mg) and F7 (47.46 ± 0.189 μg/mg), along with p-coumaric acid (104.12 ± 0.226 μg/mg) and trans-cinnamic acid (108.19 ± 0.316 μg/mg) in F3 and F4 respectively. So above findings indicate that MLE is endowed with rich source of medicinally potential phytometabolites with prominent UV-blocking and antioxidant property, which offer immense pharmaceutical prospects.

UV-Blocking and Light-Responsive Poly (ϵ-Caprolactone)/ZIF-8 Multifunctional Composite Films for Efficient Antibacterial Activities.

Antibacterial photodynamic therapy (APDT) has received considerable attention owing to its superiority. ZIF-8 was used to address the poor stability of the photosensitizer Rose Bengal (RB) encapsulation to synthesize RB@ZIF-8 NPs, which were doped into a composite film with poly (ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL) and polyvinyl alcohol-quaternary ammonium chitosan (PVA-QCS) as substrates to form composite films (PQZ). The composite films exhibited excellent photodynamic sterilization and good resistance to bacterial adhesion. The tensile strength of the film increased to 43.4 MPa, which was approximately 1.8 times that of the PCL film. With the addition of SiO2 and RB@ZIF-8 NPs, the film exhibited water repellency and UV-blocking properties. RAW264.7 cells were selected using the MTT method to confirm that the composite films had excellent biocompatibility and had no significant inhibitory effect on cell growth and reproduction. PQZ multifunctional composite films show potential as novel APDT antimicrobial materials for food packaging.

Preparation and characterization of N-isopropyl acrylamide grafted polyvinyl alcohol and chitosan blend films with hydrophobic and antibacterial properties

One of Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films' well-recognized weaknesses is moisture sensitivity, which limits their applications. Various techniques have been employed to improve their hydrophobicity, such as blending and hydrophobic coating, but they have shown issues with compatibility and stability. In this study, a new method was proposed to modify PVA by grafting N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPA) and blending it with chitosan (CS) to enhance its hydrophobic and antibacterial properties. The chemical structure of PVA-NIPA was characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, and XRD. By forming chemical bonds between PVA and NIPA through Michael's addition reaction, the moisture sensitivity of the film was significantly reduced. Additionally, the contact angle (CA) increased to 107.85° and the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) decreased from 17.69 g / (m2h) to 6.53 g / (m2h). The PVA-NIPA/CS film also exhibited excellent mechanical properties, with Young's modulus of 303.67 MPa, tensile strength of 28.86 MPa, and elongation at break of 330.25%. Moreover, it showed better compatibility, high transparency, good UV-blocking properties, and strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), reducing the total colony counts by 2.53 and 3.44 logs, respectively. Thus, this work has generated new insights for expanding the application range of PVA films in packaging materials.

Luminescent transparent wood from a woody cellulosic template treated with an optical brightener

AbstractTransparent wood (TW) has attracted tremendous research interest due to its numerous adaptive features and applications as a sustainable material. The present study unveils a novel and simple method of preparing luminescent transparent wood (LTW) with good optical properties and UV‐blocking nature. LTW was prepared by pre‐treatment of lignin‐modified wood (LMW) with a commercial fabric brightener/optical brightener (Ranipal®) prior to polymer infiltration. The resultant LTW showed unique bluish photoluminescence upon UV light irradiation. Under normal light illumination, the LTW exhibited a brilliant bright/white appearance compared to untreated TW samples. LTW fabricated using 1 mm thick silver oak wood veneer exhibited high transparency (82%) and high haze (90%) with enhanced UV blocking property. The novel LTW fabrication method using a readily available and low‐cost fabric brightener has significantly reduced the overall process complexity of LTW preparation. The treatment with optical brightener had no adverse effect on the material quality. The fabricated LTW with good optical features can be an excellent bio‐based input material to the multifunctional smart material category.

Water-Borne Carbonaceous Coatings on Conducting Polymer-Modified Cotton Fabrics To Attenuate Electromagnetic Radiation

Textile-based shielding materials are gaining much importance for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding because of their increased flexibility compared to most existing materials. The multilayer-like architectures realized by coating textiles can be used strategically to enhance the attenuation of microwaves. Herein, we report a water-borne conductive coating capable of shielding both EM and UV radiation with good thermal stability for potential applications as smart textiles. This work tries to understand the effect of different textile pre-treatments to maximize the enhancements in properties. Cotton fabrics were initially subjected to in situ polymerization of aniline and pyrrole and subsequently coated with a carbonaceous layer containing graphene nanoplatelets and carbon nanofibers on both the sides. It was seen that both the conducting polymer layer and the carbonaceous coating work in tandem to enhance the thermal stability, UV blocking, and EMI shielding. The coated fabrics shows a shielding effectiveness of −22 dB at a thickness of 1.2 mm over a wide frequency range of 2.6–26.5 GHz, a limiting oxygen index of 26%, and remarkable UV-blocking properties with a blocking of 99.99%. Both the coating and the pre-treatment do not alter the fabric’s wettability─the surface remains hydrophilic. The coating rendered the fabric with conductivity values showing a four-order jump from the control sample. The samples show a shielding effectiveness of −22 dB, accounting for more than 99% of the incident radiation being attenuated. The attenuation happens via an absorption-dominated mechanism. The coated textile exhibits excellent heat dissipation properties, with temperatures dropping from as high as 147 to 41 °C in just 60 s.

Chitosan/gelatin-based multifunctional film integrated with green tea carbon dots to extend the shelf life of pork

A multifunctional packaging film for extending the shelf life of minced pork was developed by integrating green tea-derived carbon dots (GT-CD) into a chitosan/gelatin (Ch/Gel) polymer blend. The effects of different amounts of GT-CD on the films' antibacterial, antioxidant, and other physicochemical characteristics were investigated. The Ch/Gel film with 3 wt% GT-CD showed high antioxidant activity (99.2% for ABTS and 63.87% for DPPH) and strong antibacterial action (100% eradicating E. coli and L. monocytogenes within 3 h) without significant changes in their film characteristic such as the water vapor permeability. In addition, the prepared film showed excellent UV-blocking properties (∼90.23% of UV-A, 99.65% of UV-B). When packaged with the functional film, the pork showed reduced bacterial growth (less than 1 Log CFU/g after 24 h) and preserved the meat color even when stored at 20 °C for 24 h. The GT-CD-added Ch/Gel-based films with excellent functional properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and UV-barrier properties have a strong probability for active food packaging, particularly for extending shelf life and preserving the visual quality of packaged meat.

Tannic-Acid-Enriched Poly(vinyl alcohol) Nanofibrous Membrane as a UV-Shie lding and Antibacterial Face Mask Filter Material.

Face masks are increasingly important in the battle against infectious diseases and air pollution. Nanofibrous membranes (NFMs) are promising filter layers for removing particulate matter (PM) without restricting air permeability. In this study, tannic-acid-enriched poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA-TA) NFMs were fabricated by electrospinning PVA solutions containing large amounts of tannic acid (TA), a multifunctional polyphenol compound. We were able to prepare uniform electrospinning solution without coacervate formation by inhibiting the robust hydrogen bonding between PVA and TA. Notably, the NFM maintained its fibrous structure even under moist conditions after heat treatment without the use of a cross-linking agent. Further, the mechanical strength and thermal stability of the PVA NFM were improved by the introduction of TA. The functional PVA NFM with a high TA content showed excellent UV-shielding (UV-A: 95.7%, UV-B: 100%) and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (inhibition zone: 8.7 ± 1.2 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (inhibition zone: 13.7 ± 0.6 mm). Moreover, the particle filtration efficiency of the PVA-TA NFM for PM0.6 particles was 97.7% at 32 L min-1 and 99.5% at 85 L min-1, indicating excellent filtration performance and a low pressure drop. Therefore, the TA-enriched PVA NFM is a promising mask filter layer material with excellent UV-blocking and antibacterial properties and has the potential for various practical applications.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial collagen films incorporating Pickering emulsions of cinnamon essential oil for pork preservation

Cinnamon essential oil (CEO)-based Pickering emulsions were prepared using chitosan (CS) and soy protein isolate (SPI) colloid particles as stabilizers and genipin as cross-linker. Pickering emulsions have smaller particle sizes, higher stability, and encapsulation efficiency at a CS:SPI ratio of 1:4. The Pickering emulsion-modified collagen films showed enhanced thermal stability, UV-blocking properties, and water resistance. In addition, the antioxidant (DPPH scavenging activity, 18.35%-50.59%) and antimicrobial activities (inhibition zone, Escherichia coli, 0–1.85 cm; Staphylococcus aureus, 0–1.57 cm; Pseudomonas fluorescens, 0–1.34 cm) of the films were improved due to the sustained release of CEO, with the release kinetics following the Fickian diffusion of the Ritger-Peppas model. When the functionalized film was used for pork preservation, a four-day extension of shelf life was observed. Collectively, our findings suggest that Pickering emulsions provide great potential for the application of collagen film in pork preservation.

Effect of chemically modified lignin addition on the physicochemical properties of PCL nanofibers

In this study, a chemically modified lignin additive was successfully prepared to improve the physicochemical properties of biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL)-based nanofibers. The molecular weight and surface functional group characteristics of lignin were effectively controlled through a solvent fractionation process using ethanol. Then, PCL-g-lignin was successfully synthesized by using ethanol-fractionated lignin as a platform for the PCL grafting process. Finally, PCL/PCL-g-lignin composite nanofibers were simply prepared by adding PCL-g-lignin to the PCL doping solution and performing a solution blow spinning process. The addition of PCL-g-lignin could dramatically improve the physical and chemical properties of PCL nanofibers, and in particular, the tensile strength (0.28 MPa) increased by approximately 280 % compared to the conventional PCL. In addition, the lignin moiety present in PCL-g-lignin was able to impart UV blocking properties to PCL nanofibers, and as a result, it was possible to effectively suppress the photolysis phenomenon that occurred rapidly in existing PCL nanofibers. Therefore, PCL-g-lignin may be widely used not only as a reinforcing agent of existing biodegradable nanofibers but also as a functional additive for UV protection.

Production of lignocellulose nanofibrils by conventional and microwave-assisted deep-eutectic-solvent pretreatments: mechanical, antioxidant, and UV-blocking properties

Production of lignocellulose nanofibrils by conventional and microwave-assisted deep-eutectic-solvent pretreatments: mechanical, antioxidant, and UV-blocking properties

Whey protein isolate and kraft lignin multifunctional films for potential food packaging application: UV block and antioxidant potential

Kraft lignin (KL) is a promising additive for obtaining multifunctional biodegradable packaging. However, the hydrophobic properties of lignin hinder its dispersion in hydrophilic matrices. The prior alkaline solubilization of lignin before adding it to the filmogenic dispersion could be an alternative to overcome this limitation. In this sense, this study aimed to produce whey protein isolate (WPI) multifunctional films incorporated with different concentrations of KL, ranging from 0% to 8%, previously solubilized in alkaline solution, and characterize them in terms of morphological, molecular, mechanical, optical, hydrophobicity, thermal, sealability, antioxidant, and UV-blocking properties. The prior solubilization of KL allowed the obtainment of homogeneous films of a dark color with greater resistance to fracture, higher hydrophobicity, higher glass transition temperature than the control film, and a slightly greater thermal stability: the initial and maximum degradation temperature of 166.1 °C and 305.3 °C, respectively. Lignin presence in the matrix also gave the films functionalities compared to the control: the films added with 2% of KL blocked 95% of UVA and 100% UVB radiation without impairing the passage of visible light, and the films with 8% of KL showed 34.69% of antioxidant activity in DPPH analysis. However, the films were not heat sealable, which was an undesirable outcome. Nevertheless, lignin solubilization in alkali proved to be an efficient methodology for producing multifunctional WPI films, with potential application on foods susceptible to oxidation.

Semiaromatic Polyesters from a Rigid Diphenyl-Terephthalic Acid: From Synthesis to Properties

Semiaromatic polyesters with a high glass transition temperature (Tg) are promising materials in demanding fields. Herein, a highly rigid diester, diethyl-2,3-diphenyl-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (DDB), was synthesized from naturally occurring citric acid and cinnamaldehyde. DDB was used to synthesize a series of biobased polyesters by melt polymerization with linear and cyclic diols. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that DDB crystallized in the monoclinic crystal system with the pendant phenyl groups almost orthogonal to the central benzene ring. The DDB polyesters based on alkanediols (abbreviated as PD-ms) exhibited high number average molecular weights (Mn) in the range of 10,700–39,800 g mol–1. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated their excellent thermostability that was comparable to petroleum-based polyesters. The crystallization of the PD-ms series was partially caused due to the π–π stacking of DDB units. The DDB homopolyester based on 1,10-decanediol showed a combination of high modulus, high tensile strength, and high ductility of 762, 17 MPa, and 153%, respectively. This was achieved due to the synergistic effects of the rigid DDB and the flexible 1,10-decanediol units. Lastly, DDB imparted inherent UV-blocking properties to polymers, which made them applicable in UV-protective and transparent films. In view of the fertile chemistry of biobased aromatic aldehydes, this work paves a path to DDB derivatives that are attractive precursors for semiaromatic polyesters.