YRA – Nanoengineered by Nature: Energy Storage Materials from Self-Assembled Cellulose Nanocrystals
Supercapacitors employing electrochemical double layer capacitance (EDLC) for charge storage require electrode materials with high specific surface areas and narrow, nanoscale pore size distributions.[1,2] Activated carbons, which are cost-effective to produce and have the necessary surface area and pore geometries, are often used for this purpose.[2] Abundant biopolymers such as cellulose are interesting sources for […]
10.Invited – Imaging with X-ray scattering contrast for the characterization of hierarchical material structure
Microscopy in scanning mode allows to image different contrasts from the sample, by probing not only absorption and phase contrast of the sample but for example a full X-ray fluorescence spectrum or a 2D scattering pattern. Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) imaging is in particular valuable for heterogeneous samples, in which structural elements in […]
10.Keynote – Synchrotron-Enabled Nanocellulose Research: from Basic Science to New Circular Solutions for Improving Water-Food-Infrastructural Nexus
The Hsiao group at Stony Brook has been using a wide range of synchrotron X-ray scattering and spectroscopic techniques to investigate many fundamental aspects of nanocellulose, the nanoscale aggregate of elementary cellulose microfibril (the building block of plant cells). The investigated topics included: (i) the cross-sectional shape and dimensions as well as the aggregation behavior […]
13.Invited – Design of closed-loop recyclable polymers derived from bio-based resources
Polymers are central to our present and future society, enabling improvements in nearly all aspects of daily life. However, our lifestyle also generates significant problems due to the way we use polymers. Most polymers are discarded after use, rarely recycled, and end up in landfills, rivers, and oceans. This fate exemplifies the current linear, fossil-based […]
11.Invited – Cellulose-based electrical sensor and their applications in healthcare and food systems
Celluose is a plant-derived abundant biopolymer that has been used in a variety of applications ranging from woven and non-woven fabrics to threads and food additives. Because cellulose-based sensors can be manufactured inexpensively, they are a hidden gem for producing large quantities of data that can be used for training machine learning models to provide […]
13.Keynote – LIGNIN BASED COVALENT ADAPTABLE NETWORKS WITH ADDED FUNCTIONALITY.
The European Green Deal aims to transform the European economy into a sustainable, climate-neutral, and circular economy by 2050, driving research in polymer science. Beyond substituting fossil raw materials with biobased ones to reduce polymer material carbon footprints, attention shifts to thermoset circularity. Covalent adaptable networks (CANs) mark a vital development, incorporating reversible chemical bonds […]
4.Keynote –Functional wood materials
Lignocellulosic resources have sparked growing scientific interest given their renewable nature and CO2 storage capacity. Wood, the most abundant natural lignocellulosic biomass on earth, provides manifold opportunities to utilize its excellent properties. Its hierarchical structure, bridging from the nanoscale of cell wall components to the integrative level of the stem of trees, can be utilized […]
4.Invited – Wood Nano-structure Regulation Toward New Functional Materials
Wood-based materials have been explored by humans for a long time. However, their applications in some cutting-edge fields remain limited due to their inhomogeneous structure and mediocre performances. In our previous studies, we developed various methods to modify wood cell wall structure, including delignification, in-situ dissolution and regeneration of cellulose nanofibers, cellulose crystalline regulation, nanomaterials […]
5.Keynote – THERMOSETS FROM UNTREATED KRAFT BLACK LIQUOR
Production of polymer materials from renewable raw materials that are interwoven with nature in a natural life cycle is a challenge of our generation. In order to make such materials inexpensive and thus, in a final iteration, useful for society, inexpensive raw materials, such as kraft black liquor, are appealing sources of atmospheric carbon. We […]
5.Invited – Mechanical Characterization of Natural Fibres: Enhancing Precision and Efficiency with Microrobotics
Interest in developing novel products which utilize various natural fibres is increasing in academia and industry. Mechanical properties of a fibre product depend on the structural architecture, mechanical properties of the constituents and their interface properties. Thus, in order to improve the mechanical properties of the end-product, it is of utmost importance to improve the […]
