Rajesh Sunasee
State University of New York at Plattsburgh, USA
Title: Design of cellulose nanocrystals-based functional biomaterials for innovative applications
Biography
Biography: Rajesh Sunasee
Abstract
Research on cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) continues to garner a high level of attention in both academia and industrial sectors due to their unique physicochemical properties. Their large surface area, excellent mechanical properties, biocompatibility, renewability, biodegradability and the presence of ample hydroxyl groups for surface chemical modifications have rendered them as attractive bionanomaterials for a number of innovative applications. CNCs can be easily derived via the acidic hydrolysis of native cellulose, the latter being the world most ubiquitous and abundant biopolymers. Depending on the source and extraction procedures, the resulting rod-like CNCs possess a nanoscale dimensions ranging from 50 to 3000nm in length with the cross-sections of 3-20nm. This talk will highlight the use of CNCs in various applications with the main focus on surface chemical modifications of CNCs. Surface chemical modifications of CNCs is an important process as it needs to be done in a such a way it does not affect the morphology and structural integrity of CNCs. Different fabrication strategies will be discussed for the design of CNC-based functional advanced biomaterials.