Orlando Rojas

Professor
Canada Excellence Research Chair in Bioproducts | Scientific Director, Bioproducts Institute
Office:
CHBE 259
Website:
https://rojas.chbe.ubc.ca/

Research Summary

Biobased Colloids and Materials, Renewable Nanomaterials, Bioproducts

Education

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden, 2003, Postdoctoral Associate
Auburn University, USA, 1998, Ph.D.
Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela, 1993, M.Sc.
Universitat Politecnica Catalunya (UPC), Spain, 1986, M.Sc.
Universidad de Los Andes (ULA), Venezuela, 1985, B.Sc.

Research interests + projects

Prof. Orlando Rojas works toward supporting global sustainable development through research on the fundamental and utilization aspects of renewable resources, including lignocellulose, proteins and other biopolymers. His research aims to discover competitive alternatives for fossil materials. Specific research interests include:

  • Nanopolysaccharides (based on cellulose, chitin, starches and others)
  • Bacterial nanocelluloses
  • Cellulose derivatives
  • Lignins, colloidal lignins, nanolignins and their uses
  • Renewable biopolymers (hemicelluloses, proteins, chitin and chitosan, alginates and others)
  • Multiphase systems (emulsions, foams, dispersed systems), gels, aerogels
  • Films, filaments and hybrid materials
  • Nanocomposites
  • Bioactive systems
  • Fiber processing
  • Pulp and paper

Awards and honours

Anselme Payen Award , 2018
Recipient of the Act of the Year , 2018
EU Commission ERC Advanced grant recipient , 2018
FinnCERES Finnish Bioeconomy Flagship , 2018
Elected member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters , 2017
Chair, Materials Platform, Aalto University , 2017
Weaver Distinguished Lecturer of Auburn University , 2017
Invited Visiting Faculty, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica , 2017
Top ten author during the last 5 years in ACS’ journal Biomacromolecules , 2017
Invited speaker of the Royal Society, “New Horizons for Nanocellulose Technology” , 2017
Fibrenamics Award, University on Minho, Portugal , 2016
Co-director, Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence Program “Molecular Engineering of Biosynthetic Hybrid Materials Research” , 2014

Scholarly and professional activities + affiliations

American Chemical Society
Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering
Canadian Society for Chemistry
Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry

Selected publications + presentations

Li T., Chen C., Brozena A.H., Zhu J.Y., Xu L., Driemeier C., Dai J., Rojas O.J., Isogai A., Wågberg L., Hu L., Developing fibrillated cellulose as a sustainable technological material, Nature, 590, 47–56 (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-03167-7

Beaumont M., Jusner P., Gierlinger N., King A.W.T., Potthast A., Rojas O.J., Rosenau T., Unique Reactivity of Nanoporous Cellulosic Materials Mediated by Surface-Confined Water, Nature Communications, 12, 2513 (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22682-3

Grillo R., Mattos B.D., Antunes D.R., Forini M.M.L., Monikh F.A., Rojas O.J., Foliage adhesion and interactions with particulate delivery systems for plant nanobionics and intelligent agriculture, Nano Today 37, 101078 (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2021.101078

Zhao B., Borghei M., Zou T., Wang L., Johansson L-S., Majoinen J., Sipponen M.H., Österberg M., Mattos B.D., Rojas O.J., Lignin-Based Porous Supraparticles for Carbon Capture, ACS Nano, 15, 6774–6786 (2021). DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c10307

Ge W., Cao S., Yang Y., Rojas O.J., Wang X., Nanocellulose/LiCl Systems Enable Conductive and Stretchable Electrolyte Hydrogels with Tolerance to Dehydration and Extreme Cold Conditions, Chemical Engineering Journal, 408, 127306 (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2020.127306

Bio-based materials, Biofuels, Biomaterials, Sustainability