BMC Biopolymer Material Chemistry
Research of the BMC group is focused on the development of novel (functional) materials from renewable resources employing specific molecular and supramolecular properties inherent to biopolymers. Tailoring of biopolymer-based hydrogels, aerogels and carbon aerogels for tissue engineering, bio-sensing, slow release of bioactive compounds, high-performance thermal insulation, true volumetric displays or electrochemical applications can be regarded as core expertise as reflected by fundamental and applied research projects funded by FWF-The Austrian Research Fund, ANR-The French L'Agence Nationale de la Recherché, the European WoodWisdom-Net+, or FFG-The Austrian Research Promotion Agency and partly co-financed by renowned companies. Current topics in this respect include generation of dual porosity in surface-charged cellulose II aerogels, reinforcement of ultra-lightweight aerogels by percolating networks of biocompatible polymers, transparent cellulosic aerogels from nematic liquid-crystalline suspensions of nanofibrillated cellulose derivatives, homogeneous grafting of alloyed core/shell or carbon quantum dots onto the large internal surface of cellulosic aerogels, or lignin-derived mesoporous carbon aerogels for super-capacitors or proton exchange membranes in fuel cells. Besides the above core projects, the BMC group works on smaller side projects as well which includes topics, such as dissolution, purification, modification and analysis of biopolymers, fiber-reinforcement of mass plastics, processing of biopolymers using supercritical fluid technologies, isolation and characterization of plant extractives or conversion of ligneous mass (waste) materials to humus surrogates, organo-mineral slow-release N-fertilizers and water storing materials for large-scale rehabilitation of degraded soils. Involvement of the BMC group in the Austria Wood KPlus Network and International Research Societies, such as the ACS American Chemical Society, GDCh Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, ISBPPB International Society of Biomedical Polymers and Polymeric Biomaterials, and the IHSS International Humic Substances Society form the base for both active national and international collaborations, such as with Kyoto University, Division of Materials Chemistry, USDA-ASR New Orleans, École National Supérior de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, or the Federal University of Minas Gerais-Brazil, Department of Materials Engineering. Contact: Ass.Prof. Falk Liebner Further information: www.chemie.boku.ac.at/wpf/en/arbeitsgruppen/chemie-der-biomaterialien-falk-liebner/
