ASSOCIATED MAJORS:

1. ENGINEERING

• Chemical Engineering

1. NATURAL SCIENCES

• Chemistry

PROJECT TITLE:

Development of new biohybrid materials based on lignocellulosic biomass.

PROJECT SUMMARY. Description of activities and objectives:

Nowadays, our society is extremely dependent on fossil fuels. However, this petrochemical economic model is no longer viable in the long term. Therefore, it is necessary to look for a new economic and technological model, based on the production of bioenergy (fuels, electricity and heat) and bioproducts (chemical and new materials) through sustainable and energy efficient processes using a renewable source. In this context, the use of lignocellulosic biomass (such as wood and annuals plants) as raw material in a biorefinery is of great interest because not only it is a renewable and highly available raw material but also it allows the production of a great diversity of products, including fuels, chemicals and new materials. The main components of lignocellulosic biomass are cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Cellulose offers numerous possibilities for its use in a multitude of applications.

In particular, nanofibrillated cellulose (CNF) is currently being used to study novel applications in gels, nanopapers, batteries, supercapacitors, and fibril-reinforced composites. On the other hand, lignin has been recognized as a natural resource for chemical products including functional nanomaterials. Its chemical structure not only makes this biopolymer very attractive to confer
antioxidant, antimicrobial and barrier properties to several new materials, but also for synthesis of carbon nanomaterials. Furthermore, this biopolymers can be combined with inorganic component such as clays (i.e. montmorillonite, sepiolite or vermiculite) to obtain biohybrid nanocomposites or nanopapers with new and interesting properties. Therefore, the objective of the project will be to develop and characterize new biohybrid materials based on the combination of cellulose and/or lignin and clays, and to search for new applications of these materials.

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