Greener extraction & synthesis of bioproducts from biosourced materials

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An environmentally sound biorefinery approach for the production of energy, fuels, materials and chemicals is key to ensuring a sustainable future. The use of biomass feedstocks is limited by advances in conversion technologies and biomass supply rather than the demand for these products. Integration of lower environmental impact technologies and green chemistry are paramount to establishing a future supply of green and sustainable bio-based products. Scientific and technical progress in this field is increasingly dependent on the discovery of innovative routes in the extraction and synthesis of bio-based products; development and application of greener, more environmentally benign processes; and recovery, reuse and valorization of process solvents, byproducts and waste streams. The aim of my research program involves the development of new and more environmentally benign extraction processes and synthetic approaches for the recovery and generation of bio-based products using residual biomass as part of an integrated bioresource management approach. This research will explore three major areas of opportunity of significant scientific and practical importance: (A) the development of a platform approach can be made for the novel synthesis of biomass-derived hybrid copolymers for environmental applications; (B) the development of novel processes for extracting bio-oil from microalgae incorporating sustainable approaches; and, (C) advancing direct co-liquefaction processes for the recovery of bio-oil from waste biomass. The proposed research will contribute to HQP training through the support of at least 9 graduate students (4 MSc, 5 PhD) and 5 UG summer students. Municipalities, manufacturing, forestry and agricultural industries, and laboratories will benefit from the HQP training that will be made possible by this NSERC DG. Knowledge gained could be extrapolated to the development of new biomass conversion processes and products. Success of this research program will contribute to a new generation of technology platforms for treating biomass, yielding products ideal for downstream processing to energy in the short term, and better positioning the bio-products industry in the longer term.