Controlling nanomaterial structure through chemical crosslinking and pressurized gas expanded technology

Ceapro是一家生物技术公司，使用加压气体膨胀技术（PGX），一种新的最先进的干燥方法，加工用于药妆，营养食品和治疗产品的生物聚合物和纳米颗粒。PGX可用于干燥、纯化、提取和将材料封装成颗粒和纤维结构，但Ceapro受到可生产材料的结构和类型的限制。这项工作旨在扩展PGX的潜在形态，包括柔性泡沫状材料的交联结构。这些泡沫在液体中不会溶解或再分散，在干燥状态下可以用作伤口敷料、支架、过滤器、海绵、绝缘材料或传感器，在湿润状态下可以用作凝胶和增稠剂。我们将修改纤维素纳米晶体（cnc）和多糖，使其具有可交联的表面功能，这样当具有互补功能的颗粒/聚合物接触时，形成共价交联。为了使用PGX产生新的交联形态，我们将研究三类材料：(i) CNC-CNC, (ii) cnc -聚合物和（iii）聚合物-聚合物。我们将改变交联密度并优化PGX加工条件（进料浓度、进料速率、压力、温度），以生产具有定制机械性能、孔隙率和功能的泡沫。

Ceapro is a biotechnology company which uses pressurized gas expanded technology (PGX), a new state-of-the-art drying method, to process biopolymers and nanoparticles for use in cosmeceutical, nutraceutical, and therapeutic products. PGX can be used to dry, purify, extract and encapsulate materials into particle and fibrous structures but Ceapro is limited by the structures and types of materials that can be produced. This work aims to extend the potential morphologies from PGX to include crosslinked structures that are flexible foam-like materials. These foams will not dissolve or re-disperse in liquid and may be used, in the dry state, as wound dressing, scaffolds, filters, sponges, insulation, or sensors and, in the wet-state, as gels and thickeners. We will modify cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and polysaccharides to have crosslinkable surface functionalities such that when particles/polymers with complementary functionality come in contact, a covalent crosslink is formed. To produce new crosslinked morphologies using PGX, we will investigate three categories of materials: (i) CNC-CNC, (ii) CNC-polymer, and (iii) polymer-polymer. We will vary the crosslink density and optimize the PGX processing conditions (feed concentration, feed rate, pressure, temperature) to produce foams with tailorable mechanical properties, porosity and functionality.