4–material concepts

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 …

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Biomass-derived hybrid materials and composites

The project aim is the design and engineering of biomass-derived composites to substitute petroleum-based materials.

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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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.

Latex polymer composites modified with nanocellulose

Characterization of paperboard for creasing and folding

To form a package with desired properties, paperboard is creased and folded. Creasing creates delamination cracks which during folding cause the plies to buckle and form a permanent corner. The delamination cracks facilitate folding but reduce the load-bearing capacity of the packaging. The processes must therefore be controlled. The result is affected both by the …

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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 …

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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 …

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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.