Physicochemical understanding of multilayer biopolymeric films

• Grant number: 22/05608-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: December 20, 2022
• End date: December 19, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Henrique Capparelli Mattoso
• Grantee: Giuliana Thalina Franco
• Supervisor: Emily Cranston
• Host Institution: Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of British Columbia, Vancouver (UBC), Canada
• Associated to the scholarship: 19/26577-9 - Solution blow casting: a new strategy for the production of multilayer biopolymer-based materials, BP.DR

Abstract

This research joins the current efforts towards sustainable materials using biopolymers (cellulose derivatives and proteins, in our case) as precursors. The aim is to deepen the physicochemical understanding of interfacial interactions among the biopolymer multilayers. The nanoscale evaluation allows proposing suitable surface modification routes that optimize the molecular adhesion process. This study will involve atomic force microscopy (AFM), quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), offering a fundamental toolbox to probe the system. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) may be used as an intermediate layer to improve the compatibility between hydrophilic and hydrophobic layers owing to their high surface energy, amphiphilicity, and ability to kinetically stabilize multiphase systems. (AU)