Yunqiao PuResearch Scientist II Ph.D, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China, 2000

Dr. Pu received his B.S in 1994, M.S in 1997 from Northeast Forestry University and Ph.D. degree in Pulp and Paper Science and Engineering from South China University of Technology in 2000. Subsequently, he joined Institute of Paper Science and Technology as an Assistant Scientist/postdoc and now holds a Research Scientist II position at IPST at Georgia Institute of Technology. 

Research Summary

Dr. Pu’s research efforts have been focused on frontier issues in the forest products and paper area, including: high selectivity oxygen delignification, studies directed understanding the fundamental photochemical principles involved in the photodiscoloration of wood containing pulps which contributed to improved sustainability, enhanced mammalian digestive of polysaccharides, development of nanocomposites employing natural resources, improved pulp brownstock quality, novel lignin processing in ionic liquid and wood-based biofuels. He has demonstrated that acetylated lignin is indeed the stabilized component of an acetylated lignin-containing paper during yellowing process and the extent of lignin acetylation prior to photolysis was shown to be a very important parameter in controlling the overall photoreactivity of the mechanical pulp.  His fundamental work in lignin structural characterization has enhanced the understanding in chemistry of delignification and carbohydrate degradation during extended oxygen delignification. He has utilized recent advances in nanotechnology to develop innovative nano-cellulosic composites from wood pulp.