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Van Minh Dinh

Minh-Van-Dinh
Umeå University
Department of Chemistry
Project: Ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents deconstruct lignocellulosic and crustacean shell materials for production of biofuels and high-value products
Supervisor: Jyri-Pekka Mikkola
Project planned to end: 03/2024

Research area:

The project aims at contributing to the development of a sustainable society and its energy systems since the technologies targeted in this project should result in products replacing fossil resources with the molecules of nature. In general, one can classify that this project belongs to the area of chemical engineering, with elements of synthetic chemistry and adaptation to the green energy systems. A big challenge upon transformation of biomass to valuable chemical substances and energy-carrier molecules is coupled to the difficulty of dissolving many of the biomacromolecules since they are often not soluble in water or common organic solvents. The fact that a number of ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents can solubilize nature’s molecules – cellulose, lignin or the whole plant or tree – is fascinating and renders it possible to rethink and adapt our energy system to a sustainable, cyclic economy.