Performing Department
Chemistry
Non Technical Summary
This project provides a cropssdisciplinary approach to pure and applied sciewnce problems relating to cellulose and related polymers, their isolation, characterization, properties and utilization. The purpose of this project is to advance the underlying sciences and technologies needed to fully understand, control and utilize cellulose, the single most abundant organic molecule in the world.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
L The Cellulose Research Institute (CRI) at SUNY- ESF focuses research efforts on advancing fundamental knowledge of cellulose and associated molecules such as hemicellulose, lignins and pectins. One objective of the CRI has been the organization of research conferences relation to our mission area. The Institute has and will continue to sponsor meetings that attract researchers from all over the world. These have included ''Wood and Cellulose: Building Blocks for Chemicals, Fuels and Advanced Materials'', April 9-11, 2000. Cellulose '91 in New Orleans, LA, was a joint meeting in cooperation with Cellucon Conferences of Great Britain and the Cellulose, Paper and Textile Division of the American Chemical Society. Prior to that The Tenth Cellulose Conference took place on the ESF campus in 1988, and the Institute co-sponsored A second objective relates to the conduct of original research. Members of the CRI collaborate with other participating groups including the ESF's
Council on Biotechnology in Forestry, a group that coordinates research geared towards better utilization of the renewable resources of New York; the Empire State Paper Research Institute (ESPRI) and the N.C. Brown Center for Ultrastructure Studies. They also collaborate with research groups at other Institutions including Cornell Univ., Centre des Etudes et Recherche' sur les Macromolecules Ve'ge'tales (CERMAV), a CNRS lab in Grenoble France, Tufts University etc. Cuyrrently, Our researchers focus on several areas including: 1. the development of wood and wood-derived compounds as starting materials for the generation of biobased commodity chemicals, and specialty chemicals; 2. the development of novel forms of cellulose and their applications. Two current areas include the preparation, characterization, and surface modification of cellulose nanoparticles for use in biocomposite plastics and, secondly, the development of stimuli responsive materials such as electrorheological and
magnetorheological fluids and elastomers. 3. the development of new analytical and characterization methods for use in cellulose based industries. Current areas of activity include the development instrumental methods for the rapid compositional analysis of carbohydrate containing samples; the development of analytical methods for measuring cellulose molecular weights and their distribution; magnetic resonance methods for exploring the in situ interactions involving cellulose in living system and commercial products. Research by members of the CRI is, or has recently been, supported by NSF, USDA, DOE, EPA, Eastman Chemical Co., and the XEROX Foundation. Members of the CRI are active in the activities of the Cellulose and Renewable Materials Division of the American Chemical Society A third objective relates to education and information. The members of the CRI@ESF are happy to provide adice on an informal basis to all individuals who have questions relating to cellulose and related
molecules. On more complex issuess this may take the form of collaborative or contract investigations.
Project Methods
The approach taken by CRI is flexible and multidisciplinary. The organization of conferences has, at times, been totally within the framework of the CRI and its resources at SUNY-ESF. At otrher times we have worked in collavboration with other groups including the AMerican Chemical Society and the British organization-Cellucon. In terms of research, the facilities for chemical, physical and engineering research at the college are excellent. See for example, the resources of the Department of Chemistry which may be found on "http://www.esf.edu/chemistry/research/facilty.htm". Members of the CRI, individually, collectively or in collaboration with others engage original research related to our mission cellulose chemistry. We have developed novel effeicient methods for polysaccharide composition analysis and for cellulose molecular weight determination. We are continuing to develop innovatie spectroscopic approaches to nanoscale chemistry of these molecules and
particularly to control and characterization of surface chemistry and interactions. Finally, we are in a position to develop tailor made short courses covering aspects of polysaccharide chemistry and analysis.