Scientists Create Self-Cleaning Bioplastic Inspired by Lotus

This picture shows farmer Nguyen Van Khoa harvesting lotus flowers on a pond in Hanoi. (AFP)
This picture shows farmer Nguyen Van Khoa harvesting lotus flowers on a pond in Hanoi. (AFP)
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Scientists Create Self-Cleaning Bioplastic Inspired by Lotus

This picture shows farmer Nguyen Van Khoa harvesting lotus flowers on a pond in Hanoi. (AFP)
This picture shows farmer Nguyen Van Khoa harvesting lotus flowers on a pond in Hanoi. (AFP)

A research team at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) have developed a self-cleaning bioplastic that is eco-friendly and ideal for fresh food and takeaway packaging.

The new plastic is inspired by the nature full of ingeniously designed structures that could inspire researchers striving to develop new high-performance and multifunctional materials, reported the team in their study published March 8 in the journal Science of The Total Environment.

Plastic waste is one of our biggest environmental challenges but the alternative this team developed is both eco-friendly and cost-effective. "We've replicated the phenomenally water-repellent structure of lotus leaves to deliver a unique type of bioplastic that precisely combines both strength and degradability," lead author Mehran Ghasemlou said.

The bioplastic is made from cheap and widely available raw materials -- starch and cellulose -- to keep production costs low and support rapid biodegradability.

The fabrication process does not require complicated equipment and would be simple to upscale to a roll-to-roll production line, Ghasemlou said.

While biodegradable plastics are a growing market, most biodegradable or compostable plastics require industrial processes and high temperatures to break them down.

The new bioplastic does not need industrial intervention to biodegrade, with trials showing it breaks down naturally and quickly in soil. "There are big differences between plant-based materials -- just because something is made from green ingredients doesn't mean it will easily degrade," Ghasemlou said.

"We carefully selected our raw materials for compostability and this is reflected in the results from our soil studies, where we can see our bioplastic rapidly breaks down simply with exposure to the bacteria and bugs in soil. Our ultimate aim is to deliver packaging that could be added to your backyard compost or thrown into a green bin alongside other organic waste, so that food waste can be composted together with the container it came in, to help prevent food contamination of recycling,” he explained.

The researchers inspired their new bioplastic from the always immaculate lotus leaf renowned for having some of the most water-repellent surfaces on earth and are almost impossible to get dirty.

The secret lies in the leaf's surface structure, which is composed of tiny pillars topped with a waxy layer. Any water that lands on the leaf remains a droplet, simply rolling off with the help of gravity or wind. The droplets sweep up dirt as they slide down, keeping the leaf clean.

To make their lotus-inspired material, the RMIT team of science and engineering researchers first synthetically engineered a plastic made of starch and cellulosic nanoparticles. The surface of this bioplastic was imprinted with a pattern that mimics the structure of lotus leaves, then coated with a protective layer of PDMS, a silicon-based organic polymer.

Tests show the bioplastic not only repels liquids and dirt effectively, but also retains its self-cleaning properties after being scratched with abrasives and exposed to heat, acid and ethanol. Corresponding author, Professor Benu Adhikari, said the design overcomes key challenges of starch-based materials.

"Starch is one of the most promising and versatile natural polymers, but it is relatively fragile and highly susceptible to moisture. By mimicking the 'lotus effect', we have delivered a highly effective starch-based biodegradable plastic," Adhikari said.

Ghasemlou is currently working with a bioplastic company, which is evaluating further development of these novel water repellant materials to start the commercial applications of the bioplastic.



Indonesia: Residents Wear Masks as Volcanic Ash Blankets Villages Near Erupting Volcano

A handout photo made available by Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG) shows Mount Lewitobi Lake-laki spewing ash during its eruption in East Flores, Indonesia, 07 July 2025. EPA/PVMBG HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG) shows Mount Lewitobi Lake-laki spewing ash during its eruption in East Flores, Indonesia, 07 July 2025. EPA/PVMBG HANDOUT
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Indonesia: Residents Wear Masks as Volcanic Ash Blankets Villages Near Erupting Volcano

A handout photo made available by Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG) shows Mount Lewitobi Lake-laki spewing ash during its eruption in East Flores, Indonesia, 07 July 2025. EPA/PVMBG HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG) shows Mount Lewitobi Lake-laki spewing ash during its eruption in East Flores, Indonesia, 07 July 2025. EPA/PVMBG HANDOUT

Residents wore masks to protect themselves from thick volcanic ash that blanketed roads and green rice fields in villages in south-central Indonesia as rumbling Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted Tuesday for a second straight day.

The eruption at dawn sent lava and clouds of ash up to 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) high. That followed an eruption around midday Monday that sent a column of volcanic materials up to 18 kilometers (11 miles) into the sky and an evening burst that spewed lava and send volcanic ash as high as 13 kilometers (8 miles) into the air, The Associated Press reported.

Photos and videos circulating on social media showed terrified residents ran for their lives under the rain of ash and gravel and motorists struggled to drive motorbikes and cars in the reduced visibility as the ash clouds from Monday's eruption expanded into a mushroom shape.

No casualties have been reported from the latest eruptions of the volcano that has been at the highest alert level since June 18 when its no-go zone was expanded to a 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius, said Abdul Muhari, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson.

“People around the volcano have increasingly understood how to minimize the impact of disaster risks as eruptions became more frequent since the end of 2023,” Muhari said in a statement.

The eruptions of the volcano on Flores Island affected more than 10,000 people in 10 villages in East Flores and Sikka districts, according to initial assessments by the local disaster management agency.

Thick volcanic ash and rocks were reported to have fallen in villages of Nawakote, Klantanio, Hokeng Jaya, Boru, Pululera and Wulanggitang, where roads and green rice fields were transformed into grey thick mud and rocks, said Very Awales, an public information official at Sikka district administration, adding that schools were closed in those affected areas since Monday to protect students and staff from various hazards due to volcanic activities.

“The smell of sulfur and ash hung so thickly in the air that breathing was painful,” Awales said.

Authorities distributed 50,000 masks and urged residents to limit outdoor activities to protect themselves from volcanic materials. Residents were also urged to be vigilant about heavy rainfall that could trigger lava flows in rivers originating from the volcano.

The eruption of Lewotobi Laki Laki followed its eruption in November 2024 that killed nine people and injured dozens.

The Geology Agency recorded an avalanche of searing gas clouds mixed with rocks and lava traveling up to 5 kilometers (3 miles) down the slopes of the 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) mountain Monday. Observations from drones showed lava filling the crater, indicating deep movement of magma that set off volcanic earthquakes. Volcanic materials, including hot thumb-size gravel, were thrown up to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater.

Muhari said two airports in the cities of Maumere and Larantuka in East Nusa Tenggara province remained closed Tuesday.

Dozens of flights to and from the Ngurah Rai international airport on the resort island of Bali were delayed or canceled, but airport spokesperson Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said the airport was running normally despite the cancellations, as monitoring showed the volcanic ash had not affected Bali’s airspace.