From lignin self assembly to nanoparticles nucleation and growth: A critical perspective

Recently, self-assembly processes operating in lignin have been the subject of intense researchwith the aim to prepare high-value, environmentally sustainable, nanomaterials for diverse materialapplications such as antimicrobial, antibacterial, UV-shielding, photonics etc. Lignin offersstructural features that make these potential applications possible once well-tailored aggregatesare synthesised. However, the intricate nature of lignin and the ensuing complexity of itsaggregation behaviour, coupled with the plethora and diversity of techniques used, still requiressystematic attempts to unify the scattered and at times contradictory data. This effort attempts toenumerate the various parameters affecting self-assembly phenomena of lignins by criticallyconsidering the science behind its solvation behaviour in organic solvents, in aqueous media, andits eventual self-assembly in forming nano-systems. Finally, knowledge gaps that cause presentlimitations and potential future efforts, are identified so as to arrive at a thorough comprehension ofthese phenomena.