EPSCoR Research Fellows: NSF: Water Vapor Sorption and Interfacial Dynamics in Cellulose Composite Materials Investigated via Ultra-High-Field NMR

This Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) EPSCoR Research Fellows project provides a fellowship to an Assistant Professor and training for a graduate student at the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa. This work is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy at Florida State University and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. Through the fellowship, the PI will investigate how water molecules interact with cellulose-based materials and how these interactions affect the stability of embedded additives under humid conditions. The project integrates materials science, polymer science, interfacial chemistry, and advanced magnetic resonance spectroscopy to understand how moisture can degrade the performance of cellulose composites. The resulting knowledge will support the development of more durable, moisture-resistant materials for applications in packaging, construction, and coatings. The fellowship will also strengthen Alabama’s research workforce by providing advanced training, expanding access to unique national research facilities, and fostering new research collaborations and workforce development across the jurisdiction. This project will investigate the molecular-scale role of interfacial water in controlling the humidity-dependent stability of cellulose composites containing organic additives. The project will advance fundamental understanding of how water-mediated H-bonding and interfacial dynamics influence additive retention, migration, and material performance in hygroscopic polymer systems. Ultra-high-field 17O solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy will be used to identify and quantify distinct interfacial water populations, while complementary measurements of water sorption, additive redistribution, and humidity-induced material responses will relate molecular observations to macroscopic behavior. The fellowship will enhance research infrastructure through faculty professional development in advanced magnetic resonance methods, specialized training for a graduate student, and increased utilization of national user-facility capabilities at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. This project is supported by the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Fellows (ERF), which supports early- and mid-career investigators in eligible jurisdictions to develop collaborations at the nation’s private, government or academic research institutions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.