New Opportunities in the Valorization of Technical Lignins (external link)
Most recent review paper published by the Lignin Chemistry Group
Lignin Chemistry
The Lignin Chemistry research group is led by Prof. Mikhail Balakshin. The core of our activity are practical issues of lignin valorization.
Our Research areas:
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Lignin Analytics
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Lignin Engineering
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Integrated Biorefinery
Our core knowledge is in deep understanding of lignin chemistry and technology. We are working on engineering of optimal lignins for specific applications by elucidating the correlation between process conditions, lignin structure, lignin properties and application performance. To achieve this challenging, yet very important task, we cooperate with artificial intelligence groups and application experts at our Department, University and worldwide.
Lignin is the only large renewable source of green aromatic chemicals and polymers and therefore the key player in the modern and future biorefinery. However, lignin commercialization for high-value products is very challenging due to its very complex nature and the high variety of different technical lignins. Our group is addressing this challenge by developing best lignin types for specific applications via understanding the correlation between process conditions, lignin structures and properties and their performance in specific applications using advanced methodology (new biorefinery processes, cutting-edge analytics, artificial intelligence).
We are looking for further fruitful cooperation with different groups working in various areas of lignin production and applications in academia, research institutes and industry.
2. Lignin Engineering:
Lignin valorization requires tremendous analytical efforts and method development including lignin structural analysis and, especially, high‐throughput methods for the evaluation of lignin performance in specific applications.
New and comprehensive lignin structure–performance relationships are urgently needed in order to be able to engineer lignins and lignin properties to certain application requirements.
Current group members:
Daryna Diment
PhD student
Jéssica de Souza Rodrigues
PhD student (visiting)
Yuliya Popova
PhD student (visiting)
Madina Muratova
Research assistant
Our alumni:
Nerea Abad Fernandez
Tainise Vergara Lourençon
Carlos Eduardo Silveira
Zhu Xuhai
Collaboration
We collaborate with:
- Aalto CHEM's BiCMat group led by Orlando Rojas, Biopolymer Chemistry group led by Michael Hummel and Biorefineries group led by Herbert Sixta
- Patrick Rinke and Joakim Löfgren from Aalto SCI's Computational Electronic Structure Theory (CEST) group
- Mika Sipponen and Adrian Moreno from Stockholm University's Sipponen Lab
- Ewellyn Capanema from RISE ( Research Institutes of Sweden)
- María José Cocero Alonso, Eduardo Perez Velilla and Tijana Adamovich from Valladolid University's Institute of Bioeconomy
- Antje Potthast, Thomas Rosenau and Irina Sulaeva from Institute of Chemistry of Renewable Resources (Vienna)
- Andrey Pranovich and Chunlin Xu from Åbo Akademi's Laboratory of Natural Materials Technology
Our collaborators
Assistant Professor Mika Sipponen
Head of Stockholm University's Sipponen Lab
Adrian Moreno Guerra
Postdoctoral Fellow, Stockholm University's Sipponen Lab
Ewellyn Capanema
Principal Scientist, RISE
María José Cocero Alonso
Director, Valladolid University's Institute of Bioeconomy
Eduardo Perez Velilla
Valladolid University's Institute of Bioeconomy
Tijana Adamovich
Valladolid University's Institute of Bioeconomy
Antje Potthast
Professor, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Thomas Rosenau
Professor, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Irina Sulaeva
Researcher, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Andrey Pranovich
Senior Researcher, Åbo Akademi's Laboratory of Natural Materials Technology
Chunlin Xu
Professor, Åbo Akademi's Laboratory of Natural Materials Technology
Kyösti Ruuttunen
Senior University Lecturer in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems
Luiz Greca
Doctoral candidate in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems
Related content:
New Academy Projects to be launched in September
New Academy Projects funded by the Academy of Finland involve expertise from all six Aalto schools
Latest publications:
Spruce milled wood lignin: linear, branched or crosslinked? (external link)
Structure of spruce MWL
Low-Cost Biorefinery Particles from hydrothermally treated birch wood (external link)
Micro- and nanoparticles from biorefinery lignins by using an aerosol flow system
More publications (external link)
Click here for more publications (Ligning Chemistry)
In memoriam Professor of Practice Mikhail Balakshin
Professor of Practice Mikhail Balakshin passed away at his home after a long illness on November 27, 2022. He was Professor of Lignin Chemistry at the Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering beginning in 2018.
