Dr Pratheep Kumar Annamalai 

Dr. Pratheep Annamalai is a polymer and nanomaterials scientist with a keen interest in engineering materials for sustainable living.

He has extensive expertise in both translational and fundamental research using nanotechnological tools towards sustainability. As a senior research fellow at the AIBN, he is interested in valorisation of native (spinifex grass) and alternative feedstock into reactive, nanoscale building blocks for improving the performance and utility of materials for infrastructure, agriculture, and food. Thematically, his research focuses on:

• Bioproducts (from lignin and cellulose)
• Nano-enabled construction materials (cement, gypsum, and bitumen)
• Engineered polymers (elastomers, carbon fibre),and
• Insulation materials (rigid polyurethane foam, lignocellulose)

Collaborations and Industry Engagement

• Bulugudu Limited (Formerly known as Dugalunji Aboriginal Corporation) (2016 -)
• Spantech Building Innovation (2021)
• Department of Transports and Main Roads (2016 - 2019)
• Australian Road Research Board (2016 - 2019)
• Dow Chemicals, MI, USA through UQ-Dow Centre (2014-2015)
• TenasiTech Pty Ltd (2012-2014)

Under the ARC sponsored project, the collaboration with Deakin University (IFM-Carbon Nexus) involves developing spinifex nanocellulose based carbon-fibre presursors. With ANSTO, the collaboration involves studying the understanding the native spinifex cellulose fibril structure through small-angle scattering techniques.

Within UQ, the collaboration involved with the School Chemical Engineering and School of Civil Engineering is on several engineered polymer and nanomaterials for industrial applications.

Funding

Advance Queensland Research Fellowship (Mid): Easily deconstructed spinifex nanofibres for the enhancement of high performance construction materials (2016–2019) Advance Queensland Research Fellowships

High performance sustainable carbon fibres from Australian spinifex grass (2015–2017) ARC Discovery Project

Key Publications

Oat flour as a novel stabiliser for designing plant-based Pickering emulsion
Rawal, Kirti, Annamalai, Pratheep K., Bhandari, Bhesh and Prakash, Sangeeta (2023). Oat flour as a novel stabiliser for designing plant-based Pickering emulsion. Journal of Food Engineering, 340 111300, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2022.111300

Processing and rheological properties of polyol/cellulose nanofibre dispersions for polyurethanes
Haridevan, Hima, Chaleat, Celine, Pooley, Liam, Evans, David A. C., Halley, Peter J., Martin, Darren J. and Annamalai, Pratheep K. (2022). Processing and rheological properties of polyol/cellulose nanofibre dispersions for polyurethanes. Polymer, 255 125130, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.125130

A Mixed Acid Methodology to Produce Thermally Stable Cellulose Nanocrystal at High Yield Using Phosphoric Acid
Amin, Khairatun Najwa Mohd, Hosseinmardi, Alireza, Martin, Darren J. and Annamalai, Pratheep K. (2022). A Mixed Acid Methodology to Produce Thermally Stable Cellulose Nanocrystal at High Yield Using Phosphoric Acid. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 7 (2), 99-108. doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2021.12.002

High-resolution R2R-compatible printing of carbon nanotube conductive patterns enabled by cellulose nanocrystals
Corletto, Alexander, Hosseinmardi, Alireza, Annamalai, Pratheep Kumar, Martin, Darren J. and Shapter, Joseph G. (2022). High-resolution R2R-compatible printing of carbon nanotube conductive patterns enabled by cellulose nanocrystals. ACS Applied Nano Materials, 5 (1) acsanm.1c04320, A-N. doi: 10.1021/acsanm.1c04320

An overview of cellulose‐based nanogenerators
Annamalai, Pratheep K., Nanjundan, Ashok Kumar, Dubal, Deepak P. and Baek, Jong‐Beom (2021). An overview of cellulose‐based nanogenerators. Advanced Materials Technologies, 6 (3) 2001164, 2001164. doi: 10.1002/admt.202001164

Facile tuning of the surface energy of cellulose nanofibers for nanocomposite reinforcement
Hosseinmardi, Alireza, Annamalai, Pratheep Kumar, Martine, Benoit, Pennells, Jordan, Martin, Darren J. and Amiralian, Nasim (2018). Facile tuning of the surface energy of cellulose nanofibers for nanocomposite reinforcement. ACS Omega, 3 (11), 15933-15942. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.8b02104

Reinforcement of natural rubber latex using lignocellulosic nanofibers isolated from spinifex grass
Hosseinmardi, Alireza, Annamalai, Pratheep K., Wang, Lianzhou, Martin, Darren and Amiralian, Nasim (2017). Reinforcement of natural rubber latex using lignocellulosic nanofibers isolated from spinifex grass. Nanoscale, 9 (27), 9510-9519. doi: 10.1039/c7nr02632c

High aspect ratio nanocellulose from an extremophile spinifex grass by controlled acid hydrolysis
Amiralian, Nasim, Annamalai, Pratheep, Garvey, Christopher, Jiang, Edward, Memmott, Paul and Martin, Darren (2017). High aspect ratio nanocellulose from an extremophile spinifex grass by controlled acid hydrolysis. Cellulose, 24 (9), 3753-3766. doi: 10.1007/s10570-017-1379-6

Spinifex nanocellulose derived hard carbon anodes for high-performance sodium-ion batteries
Gaddam, Rohit Ranganathan, Jiang, Edward, Amiralian, Nasim, Annamalai, Pratheep K., Martin, Darren J., Kumar, Nanjundan Ashok and Zhao, X. S. (2017). Spinifex nanocellulose derived hard carbon anodes for high-performance sodium-ion batteries. Sustainable Energy & Fuels, 1 (5), 1090-1097. doi: 10.1039/c7se00169j

Scalable processing of thermoplastic polyurethane nanocomposites toughened with nanocellulose
Amin, Khairatun Najwa Mohd, Amiralian, Nasim, Annamalai, Pratheep K., Edwards, Grant, Chaleat, Celine and Martin, Darren J. (2016). Scalable processing of thermoplastic polyurethane nanocomposites toughened with nanocellulose. Chemical Engineering Journal, 302, 406-416. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2016.05.067

Production of cellulose nanocrystals via a scalable mechanical method
Mohd Amin, Khairatun Najwa, Annamalai, Pratheep Kumar, Morrow, Isabel Catherine and Martin, Darren (2015). Production of cellulose nanocrystals via a scalable mechanical method. RSC Advances, 5 (70), 57133-57140. doi: 10.1039/c5ra06862b