2.9 Linkage Sequences in Lignin Populations (LILIPOPS): A glimpse into lignin heterogeneity
Despite several decades of analytical investigations, the elucidation of the complete molecular structure of lignin remains a challenge. State of the art analytical techniques such as advanced NMR techniques have been useful tools to propose global structural motifs based on inter-unit linkage but still lack the proficiency to discerning structural populations with complete linkage sequences. […]
Stefania Bertella
Surfactants are a class of amphiphilic compounds which are essential in various industrial applications, as they can aid in the formation of emulsions, dispersion or act as wetting agents.(1) Despite their wide use, only less than 5% of the current surfactant market share consists of compounds entirely derived from plant wastes and renewable carbon. Lignin, […]
14.7 A Comparative Study on the Microscopic Mechanisms of Cellulose Dissolution by Sodium Hydroxide and Benzyltrimethyl Ammonium Hydroxide
Dissolving cellulose is crucial for sustainable materials development. Aqueous alkaline solutions offer economic and potential environmental advantages, but a deep understanding of their dissolution mechanism is needed for designing efficient, green technologies. Previous work often focused on hydrogen bond disruption, neglecting specific ionic roles. This study elucidates the critical functions of anionic hydroxide deprotonation, cation […]
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 […]
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 […]
2.Keynote – Approaches for useful lignin from hydrolysis residue
Hydrolysis residue is the biomass components remaining after pretreatment and saccharification and the utilization of this material impacts the economics of a biorefinery. This material typically has a high lignin content, dependent upon the pretreatment method. Steam-explosion significantly disrupts the cell wall from the autocatalyzed breakage of lignin and carbohydrate linkages allowing lignin to rearrange […]
1.Keynote – How could biorefineries integrated in the pulp industry be more sustainable ?
The sixth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasizes that the forest-based sector represents an important potential of mitigation actions in the near term, that could enable to limit part of GHG emissions and contribute to reach several Sustainable Development Goals. At the same time, climatic changes have an impact on forests growth, […]
1.Invited – Beta-irradiation (“e-beaming”) of celluloses – just physics or rather chemistry?
beta-Irradiation (“e-beaming”) or swelling in ionic liquids, either process on its own, are common pretreatments for biomass in biorefinery scenarios. A combination of both, as it occurs for instance in beta-irradiation of biomass that has been insufficiently washed and still contains traces of ionic liquids, causes covalent derivatization of the cellulose and covalent incorporation of […]
1.2 Tropical lignocellulosic biomass valorisation towards sustainable materials
Coconut agriculture is considered an economical crop that is commonly cultivated in the tropics. Annually, approximately 300 million tonnes of coconut were produced globally. The coconut husk constitutes about 40% of the entire fruit and is generally incinerated or brought to landfills, which could further emit unwanted greenhouse gases. The main composition of CH comprises […]
2.7 Lignin Carbohydrate Complexes – Inferring Structure-Property Relations with Artificial Intelligence
The potential of lignin as an abundant, underutilized biopolymer is increasingly being realized. A key challenge for the targeted production of lignins remains the poorly understood relation between lignin properties and its complex structure. Novel artificial intelligence (AI) methods could reveal such structure-function relationships but remain elusive in biomaterials research. Here, we present our AI […]
