ACS CCC Transformative Natural Polymers Webinar Series
Carboxylated nanopolysaccharides for sustainable material design and application
Edmond Lam, PhD
Assistant Director, Green Chemistry Institute, American Chemical Society
DATE & TIME: Thursday April 3rd, 7:00 PM ET
Location: Online via Zoom, click here or scan the QR code to register
Abstract:
Large quantities of biomass residues from the agriculture, forestry, and seafood sectors are underutilized as low-value fuel to power manufacturing facilities, or simply left to rot in the environment. Current biorefinery practices aim to produce high-volume, low-value
commodity products from residues, but are hampered by fluctuating oil prices and high
capital investments. Therefore, there is a need to seize near-term market opportunities to
produce high-value, bio-based products with different biomass inputs in existing
infrastructure. A platform technology using a mild oxidant (ammonium persulfate) can
convert biomass rich in cellulose and chitin to carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals and
chitin nanocrystals with retention of nanorod-shaped geometry. The use of these
carboxylated nanopolysaccharides has been demonstrated in various application areas
including catalysis, drug delivery, and wound management.
Biography:
Dr. Edmond Lam is the Assistant Director of the ACS GCI and Office of Sustainability, leading the Sustainable Futures Initiative Grant Program as part of the ACS Campaign for a
Sustainable Future. Prior to joining the ACS, Edmond was a Senior Research Officer and
Team Lead within the Aquatic and Crop Resource Development research centre at the
National Research Council of Canada. His research interests include biomass valorization,
catalysis, sustainable materials, and synthetic chemistry.
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Co-Hosts:
The Philadelphia Local Section of ACS
ACS technical Divisions of POLY, PMSE, AGFD, ENVR and CARB
ACS GCI Natural Polymer Consortium
Chinese American Chemical Society