Cellulose, the new plastic

Cellulose nanomaterials (CNMs) are a new class of cellulose particles with properties and functionalities distinct from molecular cellulose and wood pulp. As a result, they are being developed for applications that were once thought impossible for cellulosic materials.
Momentum is growing in CNM research and development, and first stages of commercialization in this field have been initiated owing to the unique combination of sustainability and performance (e.g., high mechanical strength, low density, large-scale production potential) that CNMs offer. Target applications include, but are not limited to, composites for automotive, diapers, cosmetic oils and creams, food-packaging, and scaffolds for tissue regeneration, among others.

Over the last 10 years, the bulk of my research has been undertaken to develop a deeper appreciation of the structure-processing-properties relationships of naturally ubiquitous synthons such as cellulose so they may be engineered to display advanced functional materials. Essentially, the overall application goal is the creation of sustainable and greener analogous counterparts to petroleum-based synthons such as propylene (for polypropylene).
One of my synthon targets has been CNMs as building blocks for engineering packaging substrates and coatings, stimuli-responsive systems (e.g., drug delivery, thermal comfort textiles) and functional porous materials (e.g., thermal insulating foams).
During this research seminar, I will give an overview on the potentials of CNMs for the sustainable design and development of packaging substrates through the presentation of my research activities. I will discuss my vision on the challenges of environmentally sustainable packaging and share, via examples from my research work, my current and future plans to address these challenges.
Bio: Since 2018, Dr. Lavoine is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forest Biomaterials, College of Natural Resources, at NC State University (Raleigh, NC, US).
Her research interests are in the area of renewable nanomaterials, biomass valorization and conversion, mass transfer in nanoporous network, active packaging, and sustainable materials processing.

Prior to her appointment at NC State, she was a Research Fellow from 2016-2018 in Materials Chemistry at Stockholm University (Sweden). Under the direction of Prof. Bergström, she developed new strategies for producing super-insulating nanocomposite foams. From 2014-2016, she was an International Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, at The University of Tokyo (Japan). Under the direction of Prof. Isogai, she created TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils that were surface modified by amine-functionalized compounds to improve their thermal properties in order to develop high-performance nanocomposites.
Dr. Lavoine received her Ph.D. in 2013 at the Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Science and Graphic Arts (Laboratoire du Génie des Procédés Papetiers (LGP2)) in Grenoble, France, under the direction of Dr. Bras and Dr. Desloges. In her thesis work, entitled “Design, Processing and Characterization of Innovative Functional Bio-nano-materials for Packaging,” she developed antibacterial food packaging substrates using cellulose nanofibrils as a controlled release system of actives.
She received her Master’s degree of Engineering (French Diplôme d’Ingénieur) in 2010, in Paper Science and Engineering from Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP-Pagora, France). As part of this degree program, she worked on an industry-funded project where she developed proprietary food packaging materials from bio-based resources. She also has experience working in the packaging industry as an engineer and as an intern, including a 3-month position in Germany.