Interface Engineering of Cellulose Nanocrystals for Multifunctional Materials

Background/Relevance

• Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), rod-like biomaterials, are known for their unique physicochemical and mechanical properties
• CNCs have been used as fillers for petroleum-based polymers due to their surface chemistry activities along the hydrophobic (2 0 0), and hydrophilic (1 1 0) and (1 1 ̅ 0) plane directions
• However, the H bonding between CNCs, used alone, leads to structural instability of the molecular crystal–based network

Innovation

• To control the intermolecular H-bond, and develop advanced materials with CNCs as building blocks for their practical uses in dry and wet environment

Approach

Key Results

Conclusions

• Crosslinking CNCs led to control of intermolecular H-bond with formation of stable hydrogels and surfactant-like emulsions

• Oscillatory frequency tests showed that structural deformations can be modulated by varying degrees of crosslinking

• Micrographes showed self-alignment of crystals with varied surface roughness, confirming the relationship between crystal alignment and wetting properties of the engineered materials

Future Work

• Achieve CNC-based nano/microstructures and implement their uses in pharmaceutical, coating, and agriculture industries