SusChem: Nanocomposites Incorporating Stereocomplexation

这项研究是关于制造更环保的塑料材料。为此，遵循绿色化学与工程的原则。这些原则包括使用可再生资源和制造可生物降解的材料。这项研究旨在开发新的和改进的生物塑料。这项研究的方法是将微小的纳米大小的可生物降解的纤维素晶须作为增强相结合在一种叫做聚乳酸的生物塑料基质中。为了获得更好的性能，必须在分子尺度上对微小纳米须的表面进行工程设计。这种表面工程是通过纤维素表面与环境友好的增容剂反应来完成的。这些表面修饰的纳米晶须随后作为增强相混合到生物塑料中。这项研究主要是实验性的，材料将被反应、混合和模塑。测试样品将被测量以确定重要的物理性质，该项目将采用最先进的分析工具来阐明重要的结构-性质关系。涉及可持续生态、生物技术和纳米技术的研究主题的结合，将工作置于令人兴奋的新兴生态纳米技术领域。如果成功，这项研究的好处将包括几个不同的积极成果。当使用生命周期分析技术进行定量评估时，生物塑料具有较低的环境足迹。在一磅一磅的基础上，它们比相应的石油基塑料需要更少的能源和产生更少的排放。这些材料不仅对环境更好，而且减少了美国对外国石油的依赖。该项目符合支持更多使用生物基产品的联邦政策，包括《生物经济蓝图》和《2008年食品、保护和能源法》。这项研究将创造新的生物塑料材料，技术转让将支持创造绿色就业机会和国内制造业。随着项目对学生的支持，教学和培训将得到促进。拓展活动包括教师和学生参加当地小学的未来环境学习（ELF）计划。接受绿色化学和可持续材料科学原理教育的学生毕业时将具备应对21世纪重要技术挑战所需的技能

This research is about making plastic materials which are more environmentally friendly. To do so, the principles of Green Chemistry and Engineering are followed. These principles include the use of renewable resources and making materials which are biodegradable. The research seeks to develop new and improved bioplastics. The approach of this research will be to incorporate tiny nanometer-sized biodegradable cellulosic whiskers as a reinforcing phase in a bioplastic matrix called poly(lactic acid). To obtain improved properties, the surface of the tiny nanowhiskers must be engineered at the molecular scale. This surface engineering is accomplished by reacting the cellulose surface with environmentally benign compatibilizing agents. These surface modified nanowhiskers are subsequently mixed into the bioplastic as a reinforcing phase. The research is predominantly experimental in nature materials will be reacted, mixed, and molded. Test samples will be measured to determine important physical properties and the project will employ state-of-the-art analytical tools to elucidate important structure-property relationships. The combination of research themes involving sustainable ecology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology places the work in the exciting emerging field of ecobionanotechnology.If successful, the benefits of this research will include several different positive outcomes. Bioplastics have lower environmental footprints when quantitatively evaluated using life cycle analysis techniques. On a pound-for-pound basis, they require less energy and produce fewer emissions than their corresponding petroleum based plastics. Not only are such materials better for the environment, they reduce the dependence of the United States on foreign oil. The project is consistent with Federal policies supporting greater use of biobased products including the Blueprint for the Bioeconomy and the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. The research will create new bioplastic materials and technology transfer will support the creation of Green Jobs and domestic manufacturing. Teaching and training will be promoted as the project supports students. Outreach activities include faculty and student participating in the Environmental Learning for the Future (ELF) program at local elementary schools. Students educated in the principles of Green Chemistry and Sustainable Materials Science will graduate with the skills needed to meet the important technical challenges of the 21st century