Research Project

Development of cellulose nanocrystals incorporated hydrogels for adsorption and controlled release applications.

Research Summary

Adsorbents and controlled release systems find application in various fields like water treatment, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, household products, food and agriculture, etc. These systems are excellent tools to enhance the way in which various molecules are adsorbed as well as released which in turn reduces their economical and damaging side effects. Hydrogels are crosslinked water swollen structures that can be potentially used in all these areas because of their various advantages. However the practical applications of many of these hydrogel platforms are hindered due to the limited mechanical stability, durability, higher diffusion rates, lower encapsulation efficiency and limited control of release kinetics. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are renewable nanomaterials that are obtained from nature with several interesting properties like high surface area, tremendous stiffness and strength, excellent surface derivatization properties. The aim of my PhD research is to incorporate CNCs into hydrogels in order to solve the inherent limitations of hydrogels and also exploit the excellent properties of these natural wonder nanoparticles.

You see things; and you say, 'Why?'
But I dream things that never were;
and I say, 'Why not?'


                   - George Bernard Shaw

Preliminary Products: