Researchers from The City College of New York in the U.S. have published a paper explaining how nanomaterials such as surfactants, molecular gels, liquid crystals, self-assembled organic nanotubes, twisted fibers and helices, which are currently used in a variety of applications, can be made designed and developed from renewable resources, which the article says could significantly affect “production technologies and economies”. Researcher George John said, “We foresee that our results will encourage interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists in the fields of organic synthesis, soft materials research, green chemistry and drug discovery to design and develop various biobased functional materials from underutilized plant/crop based renewable feedstocks.” The article says that the researchers used cashew nut liquid, an industrial by-product, to produce a type of glycolipid that could be used in a variety of nanomaterials with applications in sensors, displays, lubrications, cosmetics, biomedical devices, and oil recovery. The article says that the researchers also used an apricot industry by-product to make nanomaterials that they later demonstrated could be used as drug delivery devices. The article says that John predicts that this research has great potential as petroleum resources decline, and that he emphasizes a critical need for education in the areas of energy efficient sustainable chemistry, biomineralization and biomimetics.
