Controlled Assembly of Nanocellulose into Functional Hierarchical Mesostructures

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Due to continuous petroleum reserve depletion and environmental deterioration, it is of significant urgency to adapt to a more sustainable and greener source of raw materials. The naturally abundant biomass represents an important raw materials feedstock, which can potentially replace petroleum-based materials if being efficiently utilized. As a basic building block in the plant cell wall, nanocellulose exhibits several superb properties such as high mechanical performance, large specific surface area, and versatile surface functional groups. The natural abundance and good performance have made nanocellulose an excellent candidate for designing high performance materials. However, more practical applications of nanocellulose are still limited due to the inferior performance of the assembled materials compared to petroleum-based counterparts and limited functionalities. In the past, I have investigated heavily on the assembly of nanocellulose into varied structures for targeted applications. The designed structures include continuous sub-micron fibers, ultralight and superabsorbent aerogel, transparent and plasmonic films. These hierarchical structured materials can be widely used for filtration, absorbents, water purification, water pollutant detection and degradation, and energy storage. ***The long-term objective of my research program is to foster fundamental understanding and robust control of the assembly of nanocellulose into varied hierarchical structures, which can promote the development of high performance sustainable functional biomaterials with expanded applications. I have made significant contributions in these proposed areas, and I am confident that my group will continue to contribute in this field, to help foster a sustainable bioeconomy for Canada. During the next 5 years of this Discovery Grant, we will expect to deliver significant outcomes in the utilization of sustainable biomaterials, including (1) more efficient and greener process will be developed to isolate and chemically modify lignocellulosic nanomaterials; (2) high performance materials with exceptional mechanical, optical, thermal, and conductive properties will be fabricated; (3) applications of the assembled materials in the area of energy and environment (supercapacitor, lithium battery, and catalysts) will be investigated. All together, my research group will benefit the Canadian forest industry in diversifying its products portfolio, promoting sustainability, and reducing environmental impacts.