Wood-Derived Hybrid Particles for Stabilized Dispersions

Introduction

Aqueous particle dispersions are elemental to many aspects of everyday life, from food and pharmaceuticals to construction materials. However, today’s dispersion science faces a grand challenge in developing colloidal particles with outstanding functionality in a sustainable manner.

Need for Sustainable Materials

To enable society’s transformation from an oil-based economy to a bioeconomy, there is an urgent need to develop sophisticated biocompatible materials, such as particle dispersions, from biomass-derived precursors through sustainable conversion routes.

Challenges in Current Alternatives

Current bio-based alternatives to synthetic dispersions are entering the market rather slowly, primarily because key technologies to achieve superior functionality to justify industrial adaptation of biobased polymers are lacking.

Project Overview

I will promote the findings of my fundamental ERC CoG project on hierarchical particles from two of the most abundant, but underused biopolymers: lignin and hemicelluloses.

Objectives of PARTIPERSION

PARTIPERSION will establish a green route to sophisticated hierarchical architectures - hemicellulose-coated lignin particles - utilizing abundant bioresources.

Expected Impact

The project will lead to a breakthrough in colloid and interface science and contribute to a more sustainable use of Earth’s resources.