Mayra Alejandra Mariño Bohórquez obtained a scientific initiation in Colombia, where she investigated the biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous solution by native strains of Pseudomonas sp. She continued her academic training in Brazil, where she completed a Master's Degree focusing on ethanol precipitation of glycosyl hydrolases. Subsequently, she obtained a PhD in Chemistry (2018), with a thesis on the preparation of nanocellulose from orange bagasse and immobilization of glycosyl-hydrolases using magnetic nanoparticles. This stage also included the spectroscopic characterization of nanomaterials and structural characterization of biomass. In the professional field, she was junior researcher in Chile (2018-2019), where she researched eutectic green solvents for the production of cellulose nanocrystals. She is currently finishing the execution of a postdoctoral project awarded in 2022 on nanocellulose and chitosan for the encapsulation of stem cells.
EDUCATION
2003-2009: Chemist professional degree at Industrial University of Santander (Colombia)
2011-2014: Master degree in Chemical Engineering at State University of Campinas (Brazil)
2014-2018: PhD degree in Chemistry at State University of Campinas (Brazil)
Phenolic Grafting of Oxidized Cellulose Nanofibers Using Ferulic Acid: Structural and Antioxidant Analysis Toward Bioactive Nanomaterials Mayra A. Mariño, Cécile Sillard, Yesid Javier Rueda‐Ordóñez, Alain Dufresne, Daniel A. Palacio, et al. Biopolymers, 2026 Incorporating ferulic acid (FA) into a polymeric hydrogel impairs its bioactive properties. The synthesis used in this study involved radical‐mediated surface grafting of nanocellulose for 24 h, using 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl (TEMPO) to oxidize cellulose nanofibers (oCNF) and phosphorylated cellulose nanofibers (pCNF), resulting in total polyphenol contents of 30.6 and 6.3 mg/g, respectively. Spectroscopic analyses of oCNF included solid‐state high‐power decoupling with magic‐angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance ( 13 C HPDEC/MAS NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), confirming that FA was successfully grafted onto the backbone through ester linkages on the nanofibril surface. Rheology testing and morphological analysis via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further supported these findings. TEM imaging revealed that the grafting process preserved the nanoscale morphology, yielding fibrils with an average diameter of approximately 28.2 ± 9.3 nm. Key aspects affecting FA grafting include the colloidal stability of the CNF suspension, evaluated by zeta potential, and surface activation via oxidation. In this study, FA was grafted onto oCNF through a radical‐induced reaction to enhance their functional performance, enabling the development of functional and sustainable hydrogels with high antioxidant capacity (85.62% ± 1.65%).
Dual crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol)/starch/oxidized-cellulose nanofiber hydrogels with self-healing and antibacterial effects Johanna Castaño, Guillermo Reyes, Saddys Rodríguez-LLamazares, Constanza Sabando, Mauricio Sarabia, et al. Cellulose, 2025 Hydrogels composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Pehuen Starch (PS), and TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TO-CNF) were prepared by the use of a one-pot method that consisted of sonication and freeze-thawing cycles without intermediate separation. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and Micro-Computed Tomography (micro-CT) analyses confirmed that PVA/PS/TO-CNF hydrogels had dynamic behavior (reversible ester bonds and hydrogen bonds), resulting in homogeneous porous architectures. FTIR spectra highlighted chemical structure changes because of the dual cross-linking reaction. Along the same line, rheological measurements indicated a predominantly elastic nature and incremented storage modulus by 20–50%, promoted by the addition of 1 wt.% TO-CNF. Light optical microscopy revealed a fast self-healing behavior within 2 min post-incision, and thermal gravimetry (TGA) confirmed that the inclusion of borax improved thermal stability. Biocompatibility tests with MSCs and HepG2 cells showed non-toxicity, with 1:1 mass ratio PVA/PS-TOCNF hydrogels exhibiting superior dimensional stability, viable cell recovery rates (20–40%), and antimicrobial activity against E. coli. These results demonstrates the potential of biobased polymers (PS-TOCNF) to improve the properties of PVA/borax hydrogels for next-generation healthcare applications, offering a promising solution with competitive mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and antibacterial properties.
A ternary eutectic solvent for cellulose nanocrystal production: exploring the recyclability and pre-pilot scale-up Mayra A. Mariño, Maria G. Paredes, Natalia Martinez, Daniela Millan, Ricardo A. Tapia, et al. Frontiers in Chemistry, 2023 Deep eutectic solvents (DES) formed using choline chloride (ChCl), p-toluenesulfonic acid (pTSA) of stoichiometry ChCl: pTSA (1:1) and (1:2), and its ternary eutectic mixtures with phosphoric acid (PA) 85% as an additive (ChCl: pTSA: PA) were evaluated for cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) isolation. Initially, the hydrolytic efficiency to produce CNC of each DES was compared before and after adding phosphoric acid by Hammett acidity parameters and the Gutmann acceptor number. Moreover, different DES molar ratios and reaction time were studied at 80°C for CNC optimization. The nanomaterial characteristics were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The ternary eutectic mixture ChCl: pTSA: PA molar ratio (1:1:1.35) was chosen as a suitable recyclable ternary system at the laboratory scale. A CNC yield of about 80% was obtained from the hydrolysis of commercial cellulose in five cycles of recovery, but it dropped to 35% in pre-pilot scaling. However, no variation in the average size of the resulting CNC was observed (132 ± 50 nm x 23 ± 4 nm), which presented high thermal stability (Tmax 362°C) and high crystallinity of about 80% after 3 h of reaction time.
Magnetic nanomaterials as biocatalyst carriers for biomass processing: Immobilization strategies, reusability, and applications Mayra A. Mariño, Stephanie Fulaz, Ljubica Tasic Magnetochemistry, 2021 Environmental concerns, along with oil shortages, have increased industrial interest in biomass conversion to produce biofuels and other valuable chemicals. A green option in biomass processing is the use of enzymes, such as cellulases, hemicellulases, and ligninolytic (laccase and peroxidases), which have outstanding specificity toward their substrates and can be reused if immobilized onto magnetic nanocarriers. Numerous studies report the biocatalysts’ performance after covalent binding or adsorption on differently functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). Functionalization strategies of MNPs include silica-based surfaces obtained through a sol–gel process, graphene oxide-based nanocomposites, polymer-coated surfaces, grafting polymer brushes, and others, which have been emphasized in this review of the immobilization and co-immobilization of enzymes used for biomass conversion. Careful analysis of the parameters affecting the performance of enzyme immobilization for new hybrid matrices has enabled us to achieve wider tolerance to thermal or chemical stress by these biosystems during saccharification. Additionally, it has enabled the application of immobilized laccase to remove toxic organic compounds from lignin, among other recent advances addressed here related to the use of reusable magnetic carriers for bioderived chemical manufacturing.
Agroindustry Residues as a Source for Cellulose Nanofibers Production Mayra Mariño, Daniela Cypriano, Ljubica Tasic Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society, 2021 Our study was motivated by the large amount of crop residues produced in Brazil, which represent underutilized waste biomass and a serious threat to the environment because of the landfilling. For example, even though the corn crop is not popular in Brazil, it is produced in the area of around 18-20 million hectares with an average production of 5-6 t ha-1. That is the reason to seek for the crop residues value-added applications as proposed in the present study. Four Brazilian crop waste biomass: orange bagasse, corn husks, sugarcane straw and coffee residues were used for cellulose nanofibers (CNF) production. CNFs were prepared using alkali treatment, followed by bleaching with sodium chlorite and extraction with oxalic acid. All steps were applied under moderate conditions of temperature and pressure, such as temperature of 120 °C and below, water solutions with chemicals’ concentrations lower that 10% and short sonication pulses. CNFs with diameters in the range 50-70 nm were obtained and products from orange bagasse and corn husks presented high crystallinity indexes (CI), 0.72 and 0.75, respectively. The highest CNF yield was obtained from corn husks (38.5%) followed by sugarcane straw (24.0% with CI of 0.69). CNFs obtained from coffee residues showed a CI value of 0.65 after two bleaching steps. Different CNF morphologies were obtained according to the raw material. The four-crop waste biomass can be considered as excellent starting materials for CNF production in the four-steps process that adds new value to agro-industrial waste and might bring great economical valorization to Brazilian crops production.
Orange biomass by-products Daniela Z. Cypriano, Lucimara L. da Silva, Mayra Alejandra M. Bohórquez, Ljubica Tasic Revista Virtual De Quimica, 2017
A multistep mild process for preparation of nanocellulose from orange bagasse European Biomass Conference and Exhibition Proceedings, 2016
Exploring bioactivity of hesperidin, naturally occurring flavanone glycoside, isolated from oranges Citrus Fruits Production Consumption and Health Benefits, 2016
Phenolic Grafting of Oxidized Cellulose Nanofibers Using Ferulic Acid: Structural and Antioxidant Analysis Toward Bioactive Nanomaterials MA Mariño, C Sillard, YJ Rueda‐Ordóñez, A Dufresne, DA Palacio, ... Biopolymers 117 (4), e70111 , 2026 2026.0
Dual crosslinked poly (vinyl alcohol)/starch/oxidized-cellulose nanofiber hydrogels with self-healing and antibacterial effects J Castaño, G Reyes, S Rodríguez-LLamazares, C Sabando, M Sarabia, ... Cellulose 32 (11), 6607-6626 , 2025 2025.0 Citations: 3
Recycled ionic liquid vs. deep eutectic solvent in cellulose nanocrystals production: Characterization, techno-economic analysis, and life cycle assessment MA Mariño, D Rueda-Ordonez, MG Paredes, RA Tapia, R Pita, P Pavez Journal of Cleaner Production 472, 143461 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 26
Crosslinked oxidized-nanocellulose/chitosan hydrogels as a scaffold matrix for mesenchymal stem cell growth MA Mariño, K Oyarce, C Tobar, RS del Río, MG Paredes, P Pavez, ... Cellulose 31 (1), 363-379 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 11
A ternary eutectic solvent for cellulose nanocrystal production: exploring the recyclability and pre-pilot scale-up MA Mariño, MG Paredes, N Martinez, D Millan, RA Tapia, D Ruiz, ... Frontiers in chemistry 11, 1233889 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 10
Immobilized commercial cellulases onto amino-functionalized magnetic beads for biomass hydrolysis: Enhanced stability by non-polar silanization MA Mariño, P Moretti, L Tasic Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 13 (10), 9265-9275 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 30
Protic ionic liquids based on anionic clusters ([Hmim][(HSO4)(H2SO4] x) with (x= 0, 1, and 2), to produce nanocellulose (CNC) MG Paredes, MA Mariño, RA Tapia, DR MacFarlane, K Matuszek, D Ruiz, ... Journal of Molecular Liquids 367, 120422 , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 11
Magnetic nanomaterials as biocatalyst carriers for biomass processing: immobilization strategies, reusability, and applications MA Mariño, S Fulaz, L Tasic Magnetochemistry 7 (10), 133 , 2021 2021.0 Citations: 62
Agroindustry residues as a source for cellulose nanofibers production MA Mariño, D Cypriano, L Tasic Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society 32 (4), 878-888 , 2021 2021.0 Citations: 27
A multistep mild process for preparation of nanocellulose from orange bagasse MA Mariño, CA Rezende, L Tasic Cellulose 25 (10), 5739-5750 , 2018 2018.0 Citations: 75
Caracterização de nanocelulose do bagaço de laranja e imobilização de enzimas hidrolíticas visando seu aproveitamento durante a etapa da hidrólise de celulose MAM Bohórquez [sn] , 2017 2017.0 Citations: 1
A biomassa da laranja e seus subprodutos DZ Cypriano, LL da Silva, MAM Bohórquez, L Tasic Revista virtual de química , 2017 2017.0 Citations: 24
Orange biomass by-products DZ Cypriano, LL Da Silva, MA Mariño, L Tasic Revista Virtual de Quimica 9 (1), 176-191 , 2017 2017.0 Citations: 8
Exploring bioactivity of hesperidin, naturally occurring flavanone glycoside, isolated from oranges L Tasic, B Mandic, CHN Barros, DZ Cypriano, D Stanisic, LG Schultz, ... Citrus Fruits, Nova Science Publishers, Inc , 2016 2016.0 Citations: 5
Enhanced materials from nature: nanocellulose from citrus waste M Mariño, L Lopes da Silva, N Durán, L Tasic Molecules 20 (4), 5908-5923 , 2015 2015.0 Citations: 195
ETHANOL PRECIPITATION OF GLYCOSYL HYDROLASES PRODUCED BY Trichoderma harzianum P49P11 MA Marino, S Freitas, EA Miranda Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering 32, 325-333 , 2015 2015.0 Citations: 14
N Durán, & Tasic, L.(2015). Enhanced materials from nature: nanocellulose from citrus waste M Mariño, L Lucimara Molecules 20 (4), 5908-5923 , 0 Citations: 5
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Enhanced materials from nature: nanocellulose from citrus waste M Mariño, L Lopes da Silva, N Durán, L Tasic Molecules 20 (4), 5908-5923 , 2015 2015.0 Citations: 195
A multistep mild process for preparation of nanocellulose from orange bagasse MA Mariño, CA Rezende, L Tasic Cellulose 25 (10), 5739-5750 , 2018 2018.0 Citations: 75
Magnetic nanomaterials as biocatalyst carriers for biomass processing: immobilization strategies, reusability, and applications MA Mariño, S Fulaz, L Tasic Magnetochemistry 7 (10), 133 , 2021 2021.0 Citations: 62
Immobilized commercial cellulases onto amino-functionalized magnetic beads for biomass hydrolysis: Enhanced stability by non-polar silanization MA Mariño, P Moretti, L Tasic Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 13 (10), 9265-9275 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 30
Agroindustry residues as a source for cellulose nanofibers production MA Mariño, D Cypriano, L Tasic Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society 32 (4), 878-888 , 2021 2021.0 Citations: 27
Recycled ionic liquid vs. deep eutectic solvent in cellulose nanocrystals production: Characterization, techno-economic analysis, and life cycle assessment MA Mariño, D Rueda-Ordonez, MG Paredes, RA Tapia, R Pita, P Pavez Journal of Cleaner Production 472, 143461 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 26
A biomassa da laranja e seus subprodutos DZ Cypriano, LL da Silva, MAM Bohórquez, L Tasic Revista virtual de química , 2017 2017.0 Citations: 24
ETHANOL PRECIPITATION OF GLYCOSYL HYDROLASES PRODUCED BY Trichoderma harzianum P49P11 MA Marino, S Freitas, EA Miranda Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering 32, 325-333 , 2015 2015.0 Citations: 14
Crosslinked oxidized-nanocellulose/chitosan hydrogels as a scaffold matrix for mesenchymal stem cell growth MA Mariño, K Oyarce, C Tobar, RS del Río, MG Paredes, P Pavez, ... Cellulose 31 (1), 363-379 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 11
Protic ionic liquids based on anionic clusters ([Hmim][(HSO4)(H2SO4] x) with (x= 0, 1, and 2), to produce nanocellulose (CNC) MG Paredes, MA Mariño, RA Tapia, DR MacFarlane, K Matuszek, D Ruiz, ... Journal of Molecular Liquids 367, 120422 , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 11
A ternary eutectic solvent for cellulose nanocrystal production: exploring the recyclability and pre-pilot scale-up MA Mariño, MG Paredes, N Martinez, D Millan, RA Tapia, D Ruiz, ... Frontiers in chemistry 11, 1233889 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 10
Orange biomass by-products DZ Cypriano, LL Da Silva, MA Mariño, L Tasic Revista Virtual de Quimica 9 (1), 176-191 , 2017 2017.0 Citations: 8
Exploring bioactivity of hesperidin, naturally occurring flavanone glycoside, isolated from oranges L Tasic, B Mandic, CHN Barros, DZ Cypriano, D Stanisic, LG Schultz, ... Citrus Fruits, Nova Science Publishers, Inc , 2016 2016.0 Citations: 5
N Durán, & Tasic, L.(2015). Enhanced materials from nature: nanocellulose from citrus waste M Mariño, L Lucimara Molecules 20 (4), 5908-5923 , 0 Citations: 5
Dual crosslinked poly (vinyl alcohol)/starch/oxidized-cellulose nanofiber hydrogels with self-healing and antibacterial effects J Castaño, G Reyes, S Rodríguez-LLamazares, C Sabando, M Sarabia, ... Cellulose 32 (11), 6607-6626 , 2025 2025.0 Citations: 3
Caracterização de nanocelulose do bagaço de laranja e imobilização de enzimas hidrolíticas visando seu aproveitamento durante a etapa da hidrólise de celulose MAM Bohórquez [sn] , 2017 2017.0 Citations: 1
Phenolic Grafting of Oxidized Cellulose Nanofibers Using Ferulic Acid: Structural and Antioxidant Analysis Toward Bioactive Nanomaterials MA Mariño, C Sillard, YJ Rueda‐Ordóñez, A Dufresne, DA Palacio, ... Biopolymers 117 (4), e70111 , 2026 2026.0
GRANT DETAILS
FONDECYT ID 3220462 (Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico, Tecnológico y de Innovación Tecnológica de Chile).
RESEARCH OUTPUTS (PATENTS, SOFTWARE, PUBLICATIONS, PRODUCTS)
Patent about Green Solvents for cellulose nanocrystals production
Industry, Institute, or Organisation Collaboration
State University of Campinas (Chemistry Institute),
Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile (Department of Pharmacy and Chemistry)
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Rio de Janeiro (Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering)
Universidad Industrial de Santander (Department of Mechanical Engineering)
Universidad de Concepción (Department of Chemical Engineering)
Université Grenoble Alpes (Laboratory of process engineering for biorefinery, bio-based materials and functional printing)