"Green" hemicellulose-based hydrogels

Research leaders

Prof. Ann-Christine Albertsson
Prof. Ulrica Edlund

Project information

This project is part of the “Pulp Mill Biorefinery” programme that comprises a range of partners in academia in industry that have joined forces to contribute to an increased utilization of side products in the forest industry - a step closer to realizing the forest as a biorefinery.

The KTH part of the programme covers the use of hemicellulose-based resources for the development of renewable hydrogels. This work involves the chemical modification of the polysaccharide materials to tune the properties and to induce a covalent crosslinking ability. New methods are being developed and existing methods are adapted to a more eco-friendly protocol by replacing organic solvents with water. Modified materials are later crosslinked to form hydrogels which are characterized and used for product development, such as controlled release applications.