Our Research
The primary focus of our lab is to develop sustainable ways to synthesize and extract various bio-based polymers and nanomaterials, with an emphasis on their applications in water purification, environmental remediation, sensing, packaging, and energy harvesting.
1. Fabrication and Structural Characterization of Various Forms of Nanocellulose:
Nanocellulose is produced from renewable cellulose sources, most commonly wood pulp. Our lab focuses on fabricating nanocellulose mainly from non-wood sources, including jute fibers, hemp fibers, invasive phragmites grass, and agricultural residues, to promote sustainability and upcycling of such biomass. We develop methods to produce cellulose nanofibers, cellulose nanocrystals, microfibrillated cellulose, and spherical cellulose nanoparticles from both wood and non-wood biomasses, and investigate their functional, structural, chemical, optical, and flow properties using advanced microscopic, spectroscopic, and synchrotron techniques.
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.biomac.7b00544 https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2013/cc/c3cc44551h/unauth https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813016301568
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Nitro-oxidation process (NOP): Nitric acid-sodium nitrite method to develop the carboxycellulose nanofibers from virgin plant fibers.
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​Updated TEMPO-Oxidation Method: Excess use of sodium chlorite can lead to the fabrication of carboxycellulose nanofibers from virgin non-wood plants.
3. Nanocellulose Composite for Nutrient Recovery:
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Modifying cellulose and nanocellulose metal composites are developed to recover ammonium impurities from water in fisheries and reuse them to improve soil health and help plants grow.
4. Structural Transformation of Nanocellulose Hydrogels for Environmental Remediation Applications:
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We explore various chemical and mechanical methods to transform nanocellulose suspension or hydrogel into different structures, such as sponges, nanopaper, and aerogel, to enhance their performance in environmental cleanup by improving their mechanical stability, porosity, and surface binding properties.
5. Sustainable Plant-Based Biopolymer Membranes for PEM Fuel Cells:
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We develop nanocellulose with various functionalities and their composites using our own patented methods, transforming them into membranes with suitable properties for fuel cell applications. We collaborate with Prof. Miriam Rafoloivich at Stony Brook University for membrane performance testing.
6. Sustainable biopolymer-nanometal oxide hybrid materials for coating/packaging applications:
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We are developing metal oxide and biopolymer composites to replace PFAS coatings in paper and food packaging applications.
7. Nanocellulose Enabled Materials for Energy Harvesting and Sensor Applications
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Nanocellulose enables energy harvesting by serving as ion-selective membranes for osmotic power, reinforcing piezoelectric materials for vibrational energy, and forming components for solar cells and flexible electronics