Abstract

It has become increasingly urgent to address the numerous environmental crises that our global society is facing. One important step is to reduce the use fossil fuel derived materials. Herein, I present a realistic methodology of taking two of the most abundant and renewable biomaterials in the world: that is cellulose and lignin, and synthesizing materials from entirely renewable precursors that can be used to replace their petroleum derived counterparts. I make cellulose into nanoscale particles and then leverage thermodynamic principles to control these particles into highly organized structures. I demonstrate the ability to create unique self-assembled structures by modulating experimental conditions. By understanding the fundamental properties of cellulose and lignin such as size, shape, and chemistry, we can determine how cellulose and lignin will behave and interact. This information is used to manipulate how these two macromolecules cooperate in water and to organize into new and unique structures. We then choose conditions that will create structured nanomaterials that are tailored specifically for high-performance applications. Examples included are carbon fibers for stronger, lighter automobiles and in-situ sensors for non-invasive and rapid testing of dangerous diseases.