Nanowerk September 26, 2023
Researchers in Finland developed a way to turn a waste material from wood into a bio-based transparent film that can be used for anti-fogging or anti-reflective coatings on glasses or vehicle windows. They prepared optically clear lignin nanoparticle dispersions from acetylated lignin. Thin lignin nanoparticle films remained transparent when deposited on glass and other smooth surfaces, and monolayered particle films provided effective antifogging properties. The particles could also be used to prepare multilayered films with bright structural colors that could be controlled via the film-thickness and were retained in dry conditions. They also developed an improved energy- and cost-efficient esterification method for controlled and quick lignin acetylation. They showed that stable nanoparticle dispersions could be produced from acetylated lignin at very high initial lignin concentrations without the formation of aggregates. Both the very short reaction time and high possible lignin concentration make the process industrially feasible according to the researchers… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Graphical abstract. Credit: Chemical Engineering Journal, Volume 475, 1 November 2023, 145965