College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Forestry

Website: Green Bioproducts Science and Engineering Lab

Dr. Mojgan Nejad is an Associate Professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Forestry and the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at Michigan State University. She holds a B.S. in Applied Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Wood Science.

Dr. Nejad’s research focuses on lignin valorization and the development of sustainable, high-performance materials, including lignin-based coatings, adhesives, foams, and composites. Working closely with industry partners, her laboratory develops technologies that use technical lignins as renewable alternatives to petroleum-derived chemicals such as phenol, polyols, and bisphenol A in phenolic, polyurethane, and epoxy resin systems. Her research bridges fundamental polymer chemistry with applied materials development and industrial scale-up, translating laboratory discoveries into commercially viable, sustainable products.

Dr. Nejad’s contributions to the field have earned national and industry recognition, including the Adhesive and Sealant Council Innovation Award (2018), the Polyurethane Foam Association’s Herman Stone Technical Excellence Award (2023), and the CARES Automotive Sustainability Innovation Award (2024)

Research Interests

• Lignin-Based Bioproducts (Adhesive, Coating, Foam, and Composite)
• Wood Coating

Selected Publications

• Kianian, S.; Nejad, M.*; Hegg, E.L. (2026), "Structure–Bioactivity Relationships in Lignins: A Multivariate Analysis."International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 153074, 1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.153074.  
• Acquah, E. A.; Holmes, D.; Dunne, K.; Bher, A.; Sadrabadi, A. S.; Joodaky, A.; Auras, R.; Nejad, M.* (2026), “Synthesis and Characterization of Lignin-Based Polycarbonate Polyols for Flexible Polyurethane Foam Application”, ChemSusChem, 19:e202502528. 1002/cssc.202502528
• Siahkamari, M.; Debnath, D.; Wang, T.*; Nejad, M.* (2025), “A Fundamental Study of Lignin Reactions with Formaldehyde and Glyoxal”, Green Chemistry, 27(8), 2342-2358. DOI: 1039/D4GC05695G
• Jia, H.; Liu, J.; Liu, B.; Kuphal, R.;  Mottini, V.;  Monday, P.; Ball, M.; Li, J.; Nejad, M.; Fang, C.* (2025) “Lignin‐Based Separators for Lithium‐Ion Batteries via a Dry Fibrillation Method.” Advanced Materials. 37(19):2419694. 1002/adma.202419694
• Bagheri, S.; Nejad, M.* (2023), "Fully Biobased Composite Made with Epoxidized‐Lignin, Reinforced with Bamboo Fibers."Polymer Composites, 44:3926-3938.  1002/pc.27366.
• Henry, C.; Nejad, M.* (2023), "Lignin-Based Low-Density Rigid Polyurethane/Polyisocyanurate Foams."Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 62, 6865-6873;  1021/acs.iecr.2c03728
• Siahkamari, M.; Emmanuel, S.; Hodge, D. E.; Nejad, M.* (2022), “Lignin-Glyoxal: A Fully Biobased Formaldehyde-Free Wood Adhesive for Interior Engineered Wood Products,” ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering Journal, 10, no. 11: 3430- 3441, 1021/acssuschemeng.1c06843,
• Nikafshar, S.; Wang, J.; Dunne, K.; Sangthonganotai, P.; Nejad, M.* (2021), “Choosing the Right Lignin to Fully Replace Bisphenol A in Epoxy Resin Formulation.” ChemSusChem, Volume14, Issue4, Pages 1184-1195, 1002/cssc.202002729
• Kalami, S.; Arefmanesh, M.; Master, E.; Nejad, M.*(2017), “Replacing 100% of Phenol in Phenolic Adhesive Formulations with Lignin,” Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 1002/app.45124
• Mostaghimi, J.; Pershin, L.; Salimijazi, H.; Nejad, M.; Ringuette, M. (2021), “Thermal Spray Copper Alloy Coatings as Potent Biocidal and Virucidal Surfaces.”Journal of Thermal Spray Technology 30, no. 1: 25-39. DOI: 1007/s11666-021-01161-7.
• Gibbons, M.J.; Nikafshar, S.; Saravi, T.; Ohno, K.; Chandra, S.; Nejad, M.*(2020), “Analysis of a Wide Range of Commercial Exterior Wood Coatings,” Journal of Coatings, 10, 1013; 3390/coatings10111013.
• Nejad, M.*; Shafaghi, R.; Pershin, L.; Mostaghimi, J.; Cooper, P. (2016), “Thermal Spray Coating: A New Way of Protecting Wood,” Bioresources, 12(1), 143-156.
• Nejad, M.*; Cooper, P. (2010), Coatings to Reduce Wood Preservative Leaching,” Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 44 (16), pp. 6162–6166, https://doi.org/10.1021/es101138v.