Next generation biobased aerogels and hierarchically structured nanocomposites

森林生物聚合物，包括纤维素、半纤维素和木质素，被认为是解决石油产品对环境造成的无数负面影响的新希望。为了使这些森林生物产品在市场上更容易获得和更具竞争力，必须开发具有高性能和更多功能的材料，用于优于合成类似物或具有超越传统材料特性的新应用。在 UBC 木材科学系，我们有几个领先和新兴的研究小组，利用可再生构件开发先进材料，包括纤维素纳米晶体 (CNC)、纤维素纳米纤丝 (CNF)、木质素碳纳米纤维、半纤维素纳米材料、生物基气凝胶和 3D 打印可持续结构，这些结构迫切需要测量其孔隙率和表面积特性。了解这些材料的比表面积和孔隙率（包括孔径和尺寸分布）对于我们继续进行高水平研究至关重要，从而为超级电容器和废水处理等生物产品带来新的应用。为此，需要使用表面表征分析仪来评估这些材料，这些材料与我们当前由 NSERC（合作研究开发资助、发现资助和参与资助）资助的研究直接相关。 ******我们的主要重点是制造气凝胶和分层材料，这些材料是高度多孔、开孔、三维固体泡沫状材料，主要由互连纳米颗粒包围的中孔（直径 2-50 nm）组成。借助这些材料，三名团队成员共同努力，在（1）用于储能的碳质材料、（2）新型分层多孔结构和（3）废水处理应用领域取得领先进展。因此，我们小组中接受过该仪器培训的 HQP（目前共有 35 名 HQP，其中 20 名女性）将拥有针对各个行业和广泛应用的经验和可转移技能，例如碳纳米技术、吸附剂、过滤器、气体传感器、催化剂、膜技术、油漆和涂料添加剂、推进剂、电子、化妆品、能源存储和航空航天材料。

Forest-based biopolymers, including cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, are considered a new hope for addressing uncountable negative environmental effects imposed by petroleum-based products. In order for these forest bioproducts to be more accessible and competitive in the market, it is essential to develop materials with high performance and more functionality for use in new applications that outperform synthetic analogs or have properties beyond traditional materials. In the Department of Wood Science at UBC, we have several leading and emerging research groups developing advanced materials from renewable building blocks including cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), lignin-based carbon nanofibers, hemicellulose nanomaterials, biobased aerogels, and 3D printed sustainable structures that urgently need to have their porosity and surface area properties measured. Understanding the specific surface area and porosity (including pore size and size distribution) of these materials is essential for us to continue high caliber research, resulting in novel applications for bioproducts such as supercapacitors and wastewater treatment. To do this, a Surface Characterization Analyzer instrument is required to evaluate these materials that are tied directly to our current research funded by NSERC (Collaborative Research Development grants, Discover grants, and Engage Grants). ******Our main focus is the fabrication of aerogels and hierarchical materials that are highly porous, open-celled, three-dimensional solid foam-like materials that mainly are composed of mesopores (dia. 2-50 nm) surrounded by interconnected nanoparticles. With these materials all three team members are combining efforts to make leading progress in the areas of (1) carbonaceous materials for energy storage, (2) new hierarchical porous structures, and (3) waste water treatment applications. As a result the HQP in our groups (current total of 35 HQP, 20 female) trained on this instrument will have experience and transferable skills for various industries and broad range of applications such as carbon nanotechnologies, adsorbents, filters, gas sensors, catalysts, membrane technologies, paint & coatings additives, propellants, electronics, cosmetics, energy storage and aerospace materials.