Mohammad Morsali

Lignin is a naturally occurring poly-phenol and a main component of wood structure. Technical lignin is considered a low quality waste and a side product of pulping industry. However, the aromatic structure of lignin and its inherent functional groups, including carboxyl, phenolic hydroxyl, and aliphatic hydroxyl groups, present valuable assets that enable lignin-based materials to become reactive and responsive to various stimuli. This characteristic makes lignin an excellent alternative to petroleum-derived phenol-based chemicals, aligning with green chemistry principles. Additionally, lignin can be easily transformed into perfectly spherical colloidal lignin nanoparticles with uniform size distribution. This intrinsic potential of lignin can be used to further develop functionalized, nanoparticles with engineered applications tailored to them.