Dr. Wim Thielemans

BPI Seminar by Dr. Wim Thielemans

October 16, 2024, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Surface Interactions & Self-Assembly of Cellulose Nanocrystals

Location: CHBE #202, 2360 East Mall Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4

Agenda

  • 12:00 PM   Introduction by Prof. Orlando Rojas
  • 12:05 PM   Presentation by Prof. Wim Thielemans, Head of the Sustainable Materials Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven
  • 12:45 PM   Q&A

*Sandwiches and coffee will be provided from 11:50 AM. 

Abstract

Humanity is under sustained pressure to reduce energy consumption, reduce waste disposal and increase the use of renewable materials. Functional nanomaterials based on renewable resources have the potential to deliver a holistic solution by increasing activity, reducing the use of depletable resources, reducing CO2 emissions, and reducing waste at their end-of-life. To support this development, investigate a range of surface functionalization pathways to introduce ionic groups, small molecules and polymers as well as metal nanoparticles. The thermodynamic interactions and kinetics assembly of these nanoparticles is studied, on their own or with polymers or other nanoparticles, to make higher order structures such as organized films, membranes, hydrogels and aerogels. In this talk, Prof. Thielemans will give an overview of his research on the interactions at nanocellulose surfaces, the kinetics of assembly of nanocellulose into higher order structures, and recent work on the visualization of the chiral nematic phase of cellulose nanocrystals in liquid form using second harmonic generation microscopy.

About the Speaker

Wim Thielemans is a Full Professor and Head of the Sustainable Materials Lab with the Department of Chemical Engineering of KU Leuven, Belgium. He is also an International Chair at the Université de Lille, France, and the current Chair of the ACS Cellulose and Renewable Materials Division. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.  

Wim received his PhD from the University of Delaware, USA, and worked previously as a Marie Curie Fellow at Pagora, INPGrenoble, France, and as an Assistant then Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham, UK. He current work focusses on nanocellulose interactions, self-assembly and materials development, as well as on chemical recycling of condensation polymers. 

 

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