As the second most abundant biopolymer on Earth, lignin holds great potential for the developing sustainable composites, aligning with the goals of low-carbon and environmentally friendly innovation while maximizing the use of natural biopolymer resources. In many lignin-based composites, hydrogen bonding—a relatively weak interaction—is often considered as the primary force. This study employed a novel one-step fractionation method [Nature 2024, 630, 381–386] to obtain arylated lignin alongside high-purity cellulose, which were subsequently used to synthesize a lignin-based epoxy resin. We successfully developed an advanced wood-based composite with significantly enhanced mechanical properties by establishing the covalent bond between cellulose and the lignin epoxy resin. Moreover, the incorporation of lignin epoxy imparted exceptional wet strength to the material, broadening its potential applications. This covalently bonded system provides a promising strategy for integrating arylated lignin into bio-based composites, contributing to the high-value utilization of biomass and the advancement of sustainable materials.
WWSC is a joint research center between KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Chalmers University of Technology and Linköping University. The base is a donation from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. The Swedish industry is supporting WWSC via the platform Treesearch.
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Email: conference2025@wwsc.se