Digital Cellulose Center

Centrumet har en tvärvetenskaplig kompetens och infrastruktur för industridriven, excellent forskning inom området digital cellulosa. Genom strategisk kompetens och samarbetsstrukturer ska centrumet göra cellulosabaserade produkter till en integrerad del av ett hållbart, digitalt samhälle och bidra till en ökad tillväxt hos den deltagande industrin. Forskningen inom Digital Cellulose Center fokuserar på området digital cellulosa, där […]
Structure-properties relationship of covalently crosslinked cellulose networks
In this work, the structure-property relationship of covalently crosslinked cellulose networks is studied by utilizing surface modified cellulose nanofibrils and polymer links of defined structure and molecular weight. The effect of molecular weight, chemical functionality and concentration on specific surface area, swelling, and mechanical properties of the hydrogel networks will be investigated.
BIOdegradable vegan networks from REcycled agro-food waste as sustainable single-use abSORBents (BioRESorb)
The objective is to develop biodegradable absorbents containing nonwoven fiber networks from agro-food biomass waste. The material's structure-absorption relationship will be investigated and designed to make a fully bio-based absorbent core encapsulated in a natural nonwoven fabric. The raw materials will also be combined with other natural polymers to provide additional functionality (antimicrobial or binding […]
Bio-sourced, oven-dried and wet-stable foams based on cellulose and amyloid nanofibrils
In the recent decades, foams have been extensively used for different applications such as: packaging, thermal and acoustic insulation, energy storage, and water purification. However, fabrication of foams from renewable resources through green methods with scale-up potential is challenging. In this context, cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) as the most abundant bio-derived nanofibrils with outstanding physical properties […]
Defibrillation of cellulosic substrates by novel bio-based ionic liquids
New bio-based ionic liquids were developed as a greener and simple pathway for the activation of cellulosic substrates compatible with chemical modification (such as in situ polymerization). Preliminary experiments showed that these ionic liquids promote swelling/dispersing/defibrillation/partial dissolution of cellulose while retaining cellulose I crystalline structure after regeneration (full dissolution is not achieved). To get a […]
Cellulose-based organic solar cells via spray deposition
In this project, we use spray deposition to fabricate cellulose-based, flexible organic solar cells. We use TEMPO-cellulose nanofibrils (TEMPO-CNF) as sustainable substrate material, flexible silver- or copper-nanowires (AgNW-/CuNW) as electrode material, conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) as electron blocking layer, and a mixture of poly(3 hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methylester (PCBM) as […]
Bottom-up assembly of synthetic plant cells
Recently, isolated CNFs has been utilized as outer cell wall to assemble around micro containers (Paulraj, T. et al., Nat. Comm., 2020). In such an assembly termed as “plantosomes” or synthetic plant cell, the lipid growth was regulated by changes in the pH or ions, similar to what occurs in plant cells. This project focuses […]
Upgrading recycled thermoplastics using cellulose oxalate for a more sustainable future
The absolute majority of plastic used today are fossil-based thermoplastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene. To an extent these plastics are recycled through mechanical recycling but the recycled plastic is mainly used for low-end, low quality products. This is due to decreased mechanical properties and due to that the recycled plastic often obtains a black […]
Nanolatexes for cellulose modification
Latex nanoparticles can be prepared via RAFT-mediated polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) in water. They are tailor-made and highly versatile nanoparticles that can be used for modification of cellulosic fibers due to their high affinity. Part of WWSC.
Cuticle-inspired barriers for lignocellulose materials
We have created moisture-barrier films using the second most abundant C16 hydroxy fatty acid (Fig. 1)1. These are semicrystalline materials with different degrees of toughness. The material shows a high “apparent” hydrophobicity, as revealed by contact angle measurements (110-130°, much higher than for PLA). The reason is due to the rough surface that we create […]
Sustainable High Performance Polymers from Functional Building-Blocks Created in Water
The projects aim to develop new materials based on renewable resources. The synthetic strategy involved is highly modular. This modularity enables a plethora of monomeric building blocks in one step. The final materials originate from abundant, cheap, and renewable reactants, meaning that the developed material would apply to all applications, ranging from advanced biomedical applications […]
Development of thermoplastic lignocellulose based materials
The aim of this project is to develop and increase the knowledge of thermoplastic materials from bleached pulp through minimal chemical modification.