Lignin coating technology for health and cosmetics applications

这个I2 I项目展示了一种用于健康和化妆品成分的新型纳米颗粒涂层系统的实用性。它源于研究表明木质素的能力，以消除自由基，和专利申请技术提交的渥太华大学。木质素是地球上第二丰富的天然聚合物，仅次于纤维素。传统上，木质素是纸浆和造纸工业的副产品，几乎没有增值应用，事实上，香草醛通常被认为是自1937年以来由木质素制成的商业产品的例外情况。几十年来，木质素一直被燃烧以产生用于造纸米尔斯的能量，然而木质素具有显著丰富的结构，其包括许多有机结构，包括具有优异抗氧化性能的酚部分。木质素的详细结构取决于树种、地理位置和提取和溶解木质素所需的苛刻处理的性质，因为天然聚合物不溶于水和有机溶剂。这项新技术利用光来覆盖具有不溶性木质素外壳的纳米结构，该外壳保留了其抗氧化性能，并可为健康和化妆品应用提供生物相容性;其中一项应用涉及发明一种安全形式的木质素涂层二氧化钛防晒应用。扩大木质素涂层材料的生产规模是该项目的核心，因为使材料达到100 g至1 kg的规模对于消费品制造商测试新材料至关重要。

This I2I project demonstrates the utility of a novel nanoparticle coating system for use in health and cosmetics ingredients. It arises from research that has demonstrated lignin's ability to scavenge free radicals, and a patent pending technology filed by the University of Ottawa. Lignin is the second most abundant natural polymer on earth, after cellulose. Traditionally lignin is a by-product of the pulp and paper industry with very few value-added applications, in fact, vanillin is usually mentioned as an exceptional case of a commercial product that has been made from lignin since 1937. For many decades lignin has been burnt to generate energy for paper mills, yet lignin has a remarkable rich structure which includes many organic structures, including phenolic moieties that have excellent antioxidant properties. The detailed structure of lignin depends of the species of tree, the geographical location and the nature of the harsh treatments required to extract and solubilize the lignin, as the natural polymer is insoluble in water and organic solvents. The new technology utilizes light to cover nanostructures with an insoluble lignin shell that preserves its antioxidant properties and can provide biocompatibility for applications in health and cosmetics; one such application involves the invention of a safe form of lignin-coated titanium dioxide sun protection applications. Scale up of the production of lignin coated materials is at the essence of this project, as making the materials available in the 100 g to 1 kg scale is essential for the manufacturers of consumer products to test the new materials.******