Biobased Solutions

Green processes and treatments for converting renewable feedstocks to biobased nanomaterials and products.

Our roots lay on the groundwork to improve the efficiency of biorefineries and the processability of agricultural feedstock (biomass) in a more sustainable approach. 

We have been studying a novel green single-step oxidative method for the treatment and carboxylation of rose stems and lignocellulosic hemp fibers. In this straightforward method, using organic acids combined with hydrogen peroxide provides green radicals to break down the biomass structure, eliminating lignin/hemicellulose and simultaneously carboxylation of the cellulose surface, facilitating the production of excellent quality cellulose nanofibrils. The interesting findings of this research indicate that nanocelluloses with different degrees of carboxylation and aspect ratio are obtained by altering the organic acid or the biomass source.

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Design and multifunctionality of materials using biobased nanomaterials.

Nanocellulose is not seen exclusively as a replacement but as a provider of multifunctionalities within cutting-edge applications. Herein, the goal is to understand the physical and chemical properties of nanocelluloses and how they can be modified to design materials for energy harvesting, packaging, and sustainable building. 

Our work shows the importance of defining methods, conditions, and composition during the design of nanocellulose materials. For instance, in our study, nanocellulose films presented different values of roughness and mechanical and optical properties only by performing straightforward alterations during their formation. Thus, if these factors are not considered during the design, undesirable properties can make it unfeasible to apply such films as substrates for optoelectronics. 

However our research does not exclude the importance of fully understanding the properties of the materials to be applied. One of our findings, which overturns the hypothesis that the haze present in nanocellulose films can be used to enhance light absorption, demonstrates this. Our nanocellulose films with higher haze had a greater tendency to reflect direct irradiation.

Even though we have developed research to prevent water interactions in packaging applications by producing hybrid materials with nano clay, the hydrophilicity of anionic nanocellulose was detrimental to ionic transportation in fuel cell and electrolyte membranes. These membranes remarkably indicated how biobased materials can favor clean and renewable energy generation.

Recently, we started working on biobased 3D building materials, in which oyster shells, nanocellulose, and biobased fillers such as alginate to create materials for urban environments. This recent research line was rewarded with a technical-scientific grant from the Dutch government's Chemistry NL institution. This project aims to develop fundamental research on how these biobased materials can generate consumer goods, preventing cement use and decreasing construction's carbon footprint. 

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Lifetime and stability of cellulose materials in cutting-edge technologies

We aim to understand how the applications produced by cellulose materials behave during their working life. Studies regarding the stability of the physical chemistry properties and their influence on application performance are included.

Prolonged periods of sunlight exposure and materials degradation are the core of our research. We investigate the stability of nanocelluloses substrates and their lasting UV-blocking properties from the perspective of optoelectronic and packaging applications. Our findings demonstrated that functionalized nanocellulose has lower stabilities regarding mechanical and optical properties. However, when incorporated with lignin or onion-extracted dyes, these materials can present long-lasting protection against UV light. With this, the life of solar cells can be enhanced, creating a more significant amount of energy with a single device over a long period. These findings are transferable for applications such as packaging, where the products should be preserved.