Applications of highly-reactive chemical celluloses and their derivatives with novel properties and unique functionalities

近年来，人口增长、粮食和能源需求、自然资源枯竭、环境压力增加以及对气候变化的担忧等几个主要驱动因素加速了全球经济从石油经济向生物经济的转变。生物经济是指将可再生生物资源转化为生物基产品的经济活动。新兴生物经济的关键方面之一是开发新的、可再生的和可持续的技术、工艺和产品。市场调查显示，消费者和生产商更喜欢可生物降解的高性能产品，这些产品来自低成本的可再生资源。这些趋势为开发新型的、高价值的、基于纤维素的生物材料开辟了新的可能性，这些材料可以用可再生的原料取代石油原料。我的研究计划的长期目标是使用一系列商业流程从可再生资源中开发新材料，然后作为现有石油原料的替代或改进进行测试。在拟议的研究中，我们将重点放在：(I)从森林生物质生产具有独特功能的新型和高活性纤维素及其衍生物，以及(Ii)利用活性纤维素开发适合生产新型、高价值、基于纤维素的生物材料的方法(简单且廉价)，例如用于卫生产品的高吸水性凝胶、用于食品包装材料的透明薄膜或用于复合材料的功能性生物聚合物。我们的新工艺将提供一个特殊的机会，利用现有的商业工艺从林业原料中生产生物材料。这些产品在现有的商业材料中可能具有商业、工业和环境效益。

In recent years, several major drivers such as growing population, food and energy demands, depletion of natural resources, increasing environmental pressures, and climate change concerns have accelerated the global transition from a pertroleum-based to a bio-based economy. Bio-economy is defined as the economic activities derived from renewable biological resources and their conversion into bio-based products. One of the key aspects of the emerging Bioeconomy is developing new, renewable and sustainable technologies, processes and products. Market surveys reveal that customers, and thus producers, prefer high-performance products that are biodegradable and sourced from low-cost renewable resources. These trends have opened new possibilities for the development of novel, high-value, cellulose-based biomaterials that could replace oil-based feedstock with renewable feedstocks. The long-term goal of my research program is to use a range of commercial processes to develop new materials from renewable sources, which can then be tested as possible replacements or improvements upon existing petroleum-based feedstocks. In the proposed research we will focus on: (i) Production of novel and highly reactive celluloses and cellulose derivatives from forest biomass with unique functionalities and (ii) Utilization of reactive celluloses to develop suitable methods (simple and inexpensive) for production of novel, high-value, cellulose-based biomaterials such as superabsorbent gels for hygienic products, transparent films for food packaging materials or functional biopolymer for composite materials. Our new process will present an exceptional opportunity to leverage established commercial processes to produce bio-based materials from forestry feedstocks. Such products may have commercial, industrial, and environmental benefits in existing commercial materials.