@article{farhat_venditti_becquart_ayoub_majesté_taha_mignard_2019, title={Synthesis and Characterization of Thermoresponsive Xylan Networks by Diels–Alder Reaction}, volume={1}, ISSN={2637-6105 2637-6105}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.9b00095}, DOI={10.1021/acsapm.9b00095}, abstractNote={The last several decades have witnessed notable research in natural and biodegradable polymers for applications that interact with humans or the environment. This research describes the synthesis and characterization of temperature sensitive hemicellulose-based gels. Xylan type hemicellulose was converted into a thermoplastic material via the grafting of short polycaprolactone tails to enhance the material processability. The thermoplastic xylan (xylan-grafted-poly(caprolactone) was functionalized with different amounts of furan rings and allowed to react with bismaleimide through Diels–Alder reaction. The temperature dependent bonding/debonding of the designed networks was evaluated by solubility and rheological assessments. The results indicated that the temperature at which the networks disassemble varies based on the amount of the furan moieties in the initial copolymer and can range between 108.6 and 127.6 °C. The designed networks display promising molecular and synthetic features for the production...}, number={4}, journal={ACS Applied Polymer Materials}, publisher={American Chemical Society (ACS)}, author={Farhat, Wissam and Venditti, Richard and Becquart, Frederic and Ayoub, Ali and Majesté, Jean-Charles and Taha, Mohamed and Mignard, Nathalie}, year={2019}, month={Mar}, pages={856–866} }
 @book{ayoub_lucia_2018, place={Washington, DC}, series={ACS Symposium Series}, title={Biomass extrusion and reaction technologies : principles to practices and future potential}, ISBN={‍9780841233713  ‍9780841233706}, DOI={10.1021/bk-2018-1304}, abstractNote={Balancing Principles and Practices for New Opportunities with Carbohydrate Systems. As interest in green solutions to environmental challenges grows, reactive extrusion has emerged as a cost-effective polymer chemistry and processing method with the potential to enhance the commercial viability of biomass-derived polymeric materials. This book covers the principles and practices to develop new carbohydrate solutions for use in chemical reaction technologies, composites, soft materials, fibers, bioenergy, and food sciences. Written approachably by internationally renowned experts, this book will be a resource for researchers, instructors, and policy makers.}, publisher={American Chemical Society}, year={2018}, collection={ACS Symposium Series} }
 @article{farhat_venditti_ayoub_prochazka_fernández-de-alba_mignard_taha_becquart_2018, title={Towards thermoplastic hemicellulose: Chemistry and characteristics of poly-(ε-caprolactone) grafting onto hemicellulose backbones}, volume={153}, ISSN={0264-1275}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2018.05.013}, DOI={10.1016/j.matdes.2018.05.013}, abstractNote={Hemicellulose is a highly available polysaccharide but with poor industrial applications attributed mainly to difficulties in processability, owing to extensive intermolecular hydrogen bonds. In the current study, hemicellulose was subjected to a chemical modification by ring-opening graft polymerization of ε-caprolactone (CL) to improve its processability for value-added applications. Hemicellulose-graft-poly-(ε-caprolactone) (HCgPCL) copolymers were synthesized using 1,5,7-triazabicyclodecene [4.4.0] (TBD) as an organic catalyst. The extent and length of grafted PCL sidechains in HCgPCL copolymers were controlled by adjusting the molar ratios of CL monomer to anhydroxylose residues. The various characterization analysis of the physicochemical and mechanical properties of HCgPCL materials revealed a successful grafting. The NMR analyses indicated that the degree of polymerization (DP) of the grafted PCL can range between 1.82 and 4.26 based on the changes in the molar ratio of the reactants. Furthermore, results indicated that the mechanical and the hydrophobic properties of the materials were enhanced by PCL grafting onto hemicellulose. Finally, biodegradability measurements indicated a remarkable (95.3–99.7%) materials biodegradation. We anticipate that the HCgPCL copolymers will have great potential to be an eco-friendly part of the bioplastic industry.}, journal={Materials & Design}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Farhat, Wissam and Venditti, Richard and Ayoub, Ali and Prochazka, Frederic and Fernández-de-Alba, Carlos and Mignard, Nathalie and Taha, Mohamed and Becquart, Frederic}, year={2018}, month={Sep}, pages={298–307} }
 @article{farhat_venditti_hubbe_taha_becquart_ayoub_2017, title={A Review of Water-Resistant Hemicellulose-Based Materials: Processing and Applications}, volume={10}, ISSN={1864-5631}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201601047}, DOI={10.1002/cssc.201601047}, abstractNote={Abstract}, number={2}, journal={ChemSusChem}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Farhat, Wissam and Venditti, Richard A. and Hubbe, Martin and Taha, Mohamed and Becquart, Frederic and Ayoub, Ali}, year={2017}, month={Jan}, pages={305–323} }
 @article{farhat_venditti_quick_taha_mignard_becquart_ayoub_2017, title={Hemicellulose extraction and characterization for applications in paper coatings and adhesives}, volume={107}, ISSN={0926-6690}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.05.055}, DOI={10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.05.055}, abstractNote={Hemicellulose materials are arguably the second most abundant renewable component of lignocellulosic biomass after cellulose. They are relatively under-utilized hetero-polysaccharides present in lignocellulosic biomass. In this research an alkaline treatment was optimized for extraction of polymeric hemicellulose from fully bleached hardwood pulp (B-HWP) and partially delignified switchgrass (SWG). The hemicellulose extracted from B-HWP was relatively pure with zero percent lignin and 89.5% xylose content whereas the partially delignified SWG hemicellulose contained about 6-3% lignin and 72–82% xylose, depending on the NaOH concentration during extraction (3–17% NaOH solution). A maximum molecular weight of SWG hemicellulose of 64,300 g/mol was achieved for the 10% NaOH solution extraction, whereas the MW of B-HWP hemicellulose at 10% NaOH solution extraction was lower at 49,200 g/mol. We have demonstrated that the residual lignin in SWG hemicellulose lowered the system Tg and this might be utilized as a way to increase the applications of hemicellulose in high value biomaterials. Furthermore, the hemicellulose could be crosslinked with zirconium to develop a water resistant gel for coating or adhesive applications. Our results showed that the loading stress required to break an hemicellulose based adhesive connection between two paper surfaces was 0.89, 2.02, 2.75, 3.46, and 3.11 (MPa) for 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10% AZC samples, indicating that up to about 8% AZC crosslinker in the hemicellulose increases the adhesive behavior of the material.}, journal={Industrial Crops and Products}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Farhat, Wissam and Venditti, Richard and Quick, Ashley and Taha, Mohamed and Mignard, Nathalie and Becquart, Frederic and Ayoub, Ali}, year={2017}, month={Nov}, pages={370–377} }
 @article{farhat_venditti_mignard_taha_becquart_ayoub_2017, title={Polysaccharides and lignin based hydrogels with potential pharmaceutical use as a drug delivery system produced by a reactive extrusion process}, volume={104}, ISSN={0141-8130}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.06.037}, DOI={10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.06.037}, abstractNote={Currently, there is very strong interest to replace synthetic polymers with biological macromolecules of natural source for applications that interact with humans or the environment. This research describes the development of drug delivery hydrogels from natural polymers, starch, lignin and hemicelluloses by means of reactive extrusion. The hydrogels show a strong swelling ability dependent on pH which may be used to control diffusion rates of water and small molecules in and out of the gel. Also the hydrogels degradation rates were studied in a physiological solution (pH 7.4) for 15days. The results indicated that for all three macromolecules, lower molecular weight and higher level of plasticizer both increase the rate of weight loss of the hydrogels. The degradation was extremely reduced when the polymers were extruded in the presence of a catalyst. Finally the dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the degradation of the hydrogels induce a significant reduction in the compressive modulus. This study demonstrates the characteristics and potential of natural polymers as a drug release system.}, journal={International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Farhat, Wissam and Venditti, Richard and Mignard, Nathalie and Taha, Mohamed and Becquart, Frederic and Ayoub, Ali}, year={2017}, month={Nov}, pages={564–575} }
 @article{pawar_venditti_jameel_chang_ayoub_2016, title={Engineering physical and chemical properties of softwood kraft lignin by fatty acid substitution}, volume={89}, ISSN={0926-6690}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2016.04.070}, DOI={10.1016/j.indcrop.2016.04.070}, abstractNote={A process to attach fatty acids to lignin is reported which alters its thermal behavior. By attaching saturated C18 fatty acids to OH groups, stable lignin stearates (LS) of controllable degrees of substitution (DS) were synthesized. Interesting physical properties were observed, wherein LS was observed to melt and flow at temperatures as low as 50 °C. Melting was possible due to the crystallization of stearate chains when LS was purified by precipitation. A NMR method was established for quantification of the degree of substitution. At very high %DS values (close to 100%), the melting phenomenon was reversible, but at low %DS, melting occurred only during the 1st heating ramp during thermal cycling. The ability of LS to plasticize polystyrene (PS) is reported wherein integral blend films containing up to 25% by weight of LS were formed. The Tg of the blended films could be lowered by 22 °C using LS relative to PS. Lignin stearates have the potential to serve as interesting compounds for their ability to plasticize not only PS but other thermoplastic materials as well.}, journal={Industrial Crops and Products}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Pawar, Siddhesh N. and Venditti, Richard A. and Jameel, Hasan and Chang, Hou-Min and Ayoub, Ali}, year={2016}, month={Oct}, pages={128–134} }
 @article{farahbakhsh_roodposhti_ayoub_venditti_jur_2015, title={Melt extrusion of polyethylene nanocomposites reinforced with nanofibrillated cellulose from cotton and wood sources}, volume={132}, ISSN={0021-8995}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/app.41857}, DOI={10.1002/app.41857}, abstractNote={ABSTRACT}, number={17}, journal={Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Farahbakhsh, Nasim and Roodposhti, Peiman Shahbeigi and Ayoub, Ali and Venditti, Richard A. and Jur, Jesse S.}, year={2015}, month={Jan} }
 @article{ayoub_venditti_pawlak_sadeghifar_salam_2013, title={Development of an acetylation reaction of switchgrass hemicellulose in ionic liquid without catalyst}, volume={44}, ISSN={0926-6690}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2012.10.036}, DOI={10.1016/j.indcrop.2012.10.036}, abstractNote={Hemicellulose material is an abundant and relatively under-utilized hetero-polysaccharides material present in lignocellulosic materials. In this research, an alkaline treatment was applied to switchgrass in order to extract hemicelluloses to subsequently produce an acetylated product. An extraction at 75 °C recovered 27% of the biomass as a predominantly hemicellulose material with a number average degree of polymerization of ∼500 determined by gel permeation chromatography. These hemicelluloses were acetylated with acetic anhydride in 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Amim]+Cl−) ionic liquid in a complete homogeneous procedure without catalyst for the first time. It was determined that the yield and degree of substitution increased with reaction temperature from 30 to 80 °C and reaction time from 1 to 20 h. The product was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, NMR, gel permeation chromatography for molecular weight and water contact angle analysis. FTIR spectroscopic analysis showed that the characteristic absorption intensities of acetylated hemicellulose increased and the hydroxyl group decreased with the increase in the degree of substitution. Increased degree of substitution increased the water contact angle and thermal stability in nitrogen. It was possible to cast films of the acetylated hemicellulose although the films were brittle. The results obtained indicate a promising combination between the effective extraction of hemicellulose from grasses and an environmentally friendly process using acetic anhydride in an ionic liquid without a catalyst to generate hemicellulose acetate with high degree of polymerization for use in various industrial applications.}, journal={Industrial Crops and Products}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Ayoub, Ali and Venditti, Richard A. and Pawlak, Joel J. and Sadeghifar, Hasan and Salam, Abdus}, year={2013}, month={Jan}, pages={306–314} }
 @article{ayoub_venditti_jameel_chang_2013, title={Effect of irradiation on the composition and thermal properties of softwood kraft lignin and styrene grafted lignin}, volume={131}, ISSN={0021-8995}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/APP.39743}, DOI={10.1002/app.39743}, abstractNote={ABSTRACT}, number={1}, journal={Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Ayoub, Ali and Venditti, Richard A. and Jameel, Hasan and Chang, Hou-Min}, year={2013}, month={Jul}, pages={n/a-n/a} }
 @article{hubbe_ayoub_daystar_venditti_pawlak_2013, title={Enhanced absorbent products incorporating cellulose and its derivatives: A review}, volume={8}, DOI={10.15376/biores.8.4.6556-6629}, abstractNote={Cellulose and some cellulose derivatives can play vital roles in the enhancement of the performance of absorbent products. Cellulose itself, in the form of cellulosic fibers or nano-fibers, can provide structure, bulk, water-holding capacity, and channeling of fluids over a wide dimensional range. Likewise, cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) have been widely studied as components in superabsorbent polymer (SAP) formulations. The present review focuses on strategies and mechanisms in which inclusion of cellulose – in its various forms – can enhance either the capacity or the rate of aqueous fluid absorption in various potential applications.}, number={4}, journal={BioResources}, author={Hubbe, M. A. and Ayoub, A. and Daystar, J. S. and Venditti, R. A. and Pawlak, J. J.}, year={2013}, pages={6556–6629} }
 @article{longue_ayoub_venditti_jameel_colodette_chang_2013, title={Ethanol precipitation of hetero-polysaccharide material from hardwood by alkaline extraction prior to the Kraft cooking process}, volume={8}, DOI={10.15376/biores.8.4.5319-5332}, abstractNote={Hemicellulose material is an abundant and relatively under-utilized hetero-polysaccharide material present in lignocellulosic materials. In this study, an alkaline treatment was applied to sweetgum and Eucalyptus globulus chips to extract hemicelluloses prior to kraft pulping to subsequently evaluate the final product and process. An alkaline extraction (10 and 50% NaOH by weight on wood) for 60 min at 100 °C followed by precipitation in ethanol recovered 4.3% of the biomass as a predominantly xylan material (sweetgum 50% NaOH) with an average degree of polymerization around 250 and functional groups similar to a commercial xylan (sweetgum 10% NaOH). This process in comparison to autohydrolysis (water extraction at 100 °C) produced a much higher molecular weight and more pure hemicellullose. The results obtained indicate a promising combination between the effective extraction of hemicellulose from wood and a distillation process that recovers the ethanol, which may be an attractive alternative to recover liquor and ethanol after hemicellulose precipitation. Hemicellulose from sweetgum showed more thermal stability with high molecular weight compared to the hemicellulose extracted from Eucalyptus globulus. An attractive alternative looks to be to recover liquor and ethanol after hemicellulose precipitation.}, number={4}, journal={BioResources}, author={Longue, D. and Ayoub, A. and Venditti, Richard and Jameel, H. and Colodette, J. L. and Chang, H. M.}, year={2013}, pages={5319–5332} }
 @article{ayoub_venditti_pawlak_salam_hubbe_2013, title={Novel Hemicellulose–Chitosan Biosorbent for Water Desalination and Heavy Metal Removal}, volume={1}, ISSN={2168-0485 2168-0485}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/sc300166m}, DOI={10.1021/sc300166m}, abstractNote={Hemicellulose material is an abundant and relatively under-utilized polymeric material present in lignocellulosic materials. In this research, an alkaline treatment was applied to pinewood (PW), switchgrass (SG), and coastal bermuda grass (CBG) in order to extract hemicelluloses to subsequently produce a novel biosorbent. Alkaline extraction at 75 °C recovered 23% of the biomass as a predominantly hemicellulose material with a number average degree of polymerization of ∼450. These hemicelluloses were grafted with penetic acid (diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid, DTPA) and were then cross-linked to chitosan. The effects of hemicellulose–DTPA concentration, reaction time, and temperature of reaction with chitosan on the resulting salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) uptake and weight loss in saline solutions were determined. A maximum salt uptake for the materials was ∼0.30 g/g of foam biosorbent. The foam biosorbent was characterized by FT-IR spectra, porosity, and dynamic mechanical analysis. Batch adsorption e...}, number={9}, journal={ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering}, publisher={American Chemical Society (ACS)}, author={Ayoub, Ali and Venditti, Richard A. and Pawlak, Joel J. and Salam, Abdus and Hubbe, Martin A.}, year={2013}, month={Jul}, pages={1102–1109} }
 @article{ayoub_venditti_pawlak_massardier_2012, title={Combined Application of Extrusion and Irradiation Technologies: A Strategy Oriented for Green and Cost-Effective Chemistry}, volume={8}, ISSN={1930-2126}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.15376/biores.8.1.3-5}, DOI={10.15376/biores.8.1.3-5}, abstractNote={Reactive extrusion is an attractive green route for cost-effective polymer processing, which has the potential to enhance the commercial viability of biomass-derived materials. In reactive extrusion, compatibilizers can be generated in the blend preparation through polymer-polymer grafting reactions using functionalized polymers. One very interesting new green strategy for processing is the use of intense UV-irradiation to create free radicals and controllable, ultra-fast reactions. It is reasonable to expect that the use of extrusion/irradiation green technology will be an important way to improve properties and compatibility of renewable biomass- derived polymers. We believe that in the future, many more cost-effective, sustainable extrusion/irradiation reaction processes will be developed to replace inefficient conventional biomass conversion procedures and stimulate the bioproduct-based industry.}, number={1}, journal={BioResources}, publisher={BioResources}, author={Ayoub, Ali and Venditti, Richard A. and Pawlak, Joel J. and Massardier, Valerie}, year={2012}, month={Nov}, pages={3–5} }