Diffusive transport in nanofibrous networks towards development of advanced biobased materials for water purification

Functionalized and hierarchically structured nanomaterials produced from biobased sources can provide the backbone in a future sustainable society providing a new generation of multifunctional materials.

This project’s scope and vision rely on utilizing cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), the structural building block of all biomass, to create advanced materials with tuneable properties.

By introducing nanosized particles (NPs) to the CNF scaffold, the material can obtain distinct functionalities, including conductivity or catalytic abilities. In this project we will particularly focus on CNF-NP nanocomposites used in water purification applications.

The research will have a focus on fundamentally understand the CNF-NP diffusive dynamics and interactions with the aim for structural and functional control of the material.

This will be done using synchrotron-based X-ray scattering combined with numerical simulations acting as digital twins of the experimental systems.

A successful project will lead to breakthroughs for fabrication processes for sustainable nanocomposite materials and profound insights into nanoscale transport phenomena, which will be applicable in many other soft matter systems such as cells and tissues.