Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems

Materials Chemistry of Cellulose

The distinct emphasis of the group led by Prof. Eero Kontturi is set on interfacial phenomena: one of the main lines of research involves observing and manipulating cellulosic materials in confined 2D space by using a surface science approach. Basically, this means performing research on cellulose-based entities on a very flat surface. The impetus for such research is provided by the vast diversity of functional materials that can be manufactured from 2D constructions, such as sensors and optoelectronic devices.

Research themes:

1. Plant cell wall polymers in 2D

Focus is on building morphologically distinct 2-dimensional structures from well-defined cell wall components, such as cellulose nanocrystals or amorphous polysaccharides. The structures can be positioned on a flat, smooth surface to provide means for observing fundamental interactions between plant cell components when confined in 2D space. The results can also be applied to utilizing interfacial phenomena in more realistic materials like plant-based fibres where, for example, adsorbing elements are used to perform certain tasks on the fibre surface.

2. Cellulose-inorganic hybrids: new family of thin films for energy materials

This effort centres around building thin films from cellulose-based and inorganic materials. Electrical and thermal conductivity as well as optical properties of the films are under particular scrutiny and the application targets are therefore set in energy materials, such as thermoelectric devices. Our group’s wide-ranging knowledge on manufacturing various kinds of cellulose and cellulose derivative films are utilized in tuning the desired film properties. This is a consortium with VTT High Performance Fibre Products and an integral collaboration with Inorganic Chemistry group at Aalto.

3. Towards realistic, green, and low-cost production of cellulose nanocrystals

This project aims <strong>at overcoming or circumventing the bottlenecks in cellulose nanocrystal production. Instead of the conventional liquid acid / solid fibre system, a gas/solid system is applied in a custom-built reactor. Various ways of dispersing the nanocrystals from a hydrolyzed fibre matrix are at the centre of this effort. The concept report on the industrial feasibility of the gaseous HCl hydrolysis method can be found here.

Kontturi

Meet the team:

Professor Eero Kontturi, Head of the research team

CONTACT:
Materials Chemistry of Cellulose
Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology
Aalto University,  Espoo, Finland

[email protected]

+358503442978

Picture of the members of the group "Materials Chemistry of Cellulose", standing outside on three step concrete stairs in front of an entrance door, which is barely visible. Behind them it can be seen a wall made of bricks. The natural light is beautiful, and the day is quite fresh. The members are generally serious with a relax face, some of them are smiling.

Group members' biographies: PostDocs

Group members' biographies: PhD students

Related content:

Funding for partnership networks in research, development and innovation

The Academy of Finland funding to Aalto University supports the development of nanocellulose-based scaffolds as well as the knowledge base and operating methods of the circular economy.

Vaaleanpunertavia ja läpikuultavia nanoselluloosa- ja agaroosikiteitä laboratoriomaljassa. Kuva Valeria Azovskaya

Eero Kontturi: The most important skill for a researcher is the desire to read and write

Professor of Materials Chemistry of Cellulose relaxes by reading scientific articles and makes no distinction between work and free time.

Eero Kontturi. Kuva: Lasse Lecklin / Aalto-yliopisto

Eero Kontturi appointed Associate Professor in the School of Chemical Engineering

Professor Kontturi’s field of research is Materials Chemistry of Cellulose.

Eero Kontturi. Kuva: Lasse Lecklin / Aalto-yliopisto

Awards and honours for professors of the School of Chemical Engineering

Prof. Orlando Rojas, Prof. Patrick Gane and Prof. Eero Kontturi of the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, have been acknowledged for their significant work.

Former members

Latest publications:

Solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of crystalline cellulosic materials using a direct dissolution ionic liquid electrolyte

Lukas Fliri, Katja Heise, Tetyana Koso, Aleksandar R. Todorov, Daniel Rico del Cerro, Sami Hietala, Juha Fiskari, Ilkka Kilpeläinen, Michael Hummel, Alistair W.T. King 2023 Nature Protocols

All-Aqueous Bicontinuous Structured Liquid Crystal Emulsion through Intraphase Trapping of Cellulose Nanoparticles

Shasha Guo, Han Tao, Guang Gao, Sameer Mhatre, Yi Lu, Ayako Takagi, Jun Li, Lihuan Mo, Orlando J. Rojas, Guang Chu 2023 Biomacromolecules

Heteroaggregation effects on Pickering stabilization using oppositely charged cellulose nanocrystal and nanochitin

Shasha Guo, Ya Zhu, Wenyang Xu, Siqi Huan, Jun Li, Tao Song, Long Bai, Orlando J. Rojas 2023 Carbohydrate Polymers

Drying stresses in cellulose nanocrystal coatings: Impact of molecular and macromolecular additives

Konrad W. Klockars, Luiz G. Greca, Johanna Majoinen, Karl Mihhels, Orlando J. Rojas, Blaise L. Tardy 2023 Carbohydrate Polymers

Efficient Isolation Method for Highly Charged Phosphorylated Cellulose Nanocrystals

Marcel Kröger, Olamide Badara, Timo Pääkkönen, Inge Schlapp-Hackl, Sami Hietala, Eero Kontturi 2023 Biomacromolecules

Air quality—climate forcing double whammy from domestic firelighters

Chunshui Lin, Darius Ceburnis, Aditya Vaishya, Anna Trubetskaya, Yue Tan, Tao Wang, William Smith, Robert Johnson, Wei Xu, Rory F.D. Monaghan, Colin O’Dowd, Jurgita Ovadnevaite 2023 npj Climate and Atmospheric Science

Engineered Protein Copolymers for Heparin Neutralization and Detection

Qing Liu, Ahmed Shaukat, Zhoujun Meng, Sami Nummelin, Tekla Tammelin, Eero Kontturi, Renko De Vries, Mauri Kostiainen 2023 Biomacromolecules

Understanding Nanocellulose-Water Interactions: Turning a Detriment into an Asset

Laleh Solhi, Valentina Guccini, Katja Heise, Iina Solala, Elina Niinivaara, Wenyang Xu, Karl Mihhels, Marcel Kröger, Zhuojun Meng, Jakob Wohlert, Han Tao, Emily D. Cranston, Eero Kontturi 2023 Chemical Reviews

Thermodynamically controlled multiphase separation of heterogeneous liquid crystal colloids

Han Tao, Carlo Rigoni, Hailong Li, Antti Koistinen, Jaakko V.I. Timonen, Jiancheng Zhou, Eero Kontturi, Orlando J. Rojas, Guang Chu 2023 Nature Communications
More information on our research in the Aalto research portal.
Research portal
  • Published:
  • Updated: