Dr. Gaoyuan Hou

Postdoc
Sustainable and Bio-inspired Materials
+49 331 567-9238
K-1.234

Main Focus

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are traditionally chemically extracted from forest-derived cellulose wood fibers by hydrolysis with a strong acid. However, the extraction of forest-derived cellulose causes huge energy and chemical consumption and CO2 emissions, and the acid hydrolysis method also requires a large amount of acid. Therefore, environmentally friendly and green processes for CNC production are urgently needed. To solve the above problems, we can consider both the raw materials and the preparation processes.

I am particularly interested in:

  • Extraction of CNCs using green processes
  • Life cycle assessment (LCA) of CNC extraction processes

Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Gaoyuan Hou is a postdoctoral scientist in the Department of Sustainable and Bio-inspired Materials, headed by Prof. Silvia Vignolini, at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces.

Gaoyuan obtained his bachelor´s degree in Light Chemical Engineering from Dalian Polytechnic University (Dalian, China) in 2018, and master´s degree in Pulp and Paper Engineering from South China University of Technology (Guangzhou, China) in 2021, where he focused on developing hazy and transparent cellulose film for optoelectronic devices. He completed his PhD in Biomaterial Sciences in The University of Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan) in 2024 under the supervision of Prof. Akira Isogai. His doctoral research primarily explored surface chemical modifications of crystalline wood cellulose microfibrils, emphazising the principles and mechanisms of side reactions. Following his PhD,  Gaoyuan served as a special researcher in the Department of Biomaterial Sciences in The University of Tokyo. In 2025, he joined the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces.

Publications

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=cbOHfUwAAAAJ&hl=zh-CN

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