Tailoring strength of nanocellulose foams by electrostatic complexation

Author(s)

Mariano, Marcos ^[1] ; Souza, Sivoney F. ^[1] ; Borges, Antonio C. ^[1] ; do Nascimento, Diego M. ^[1] ; Bernardes, Juliana S. ^{[2, 1]}

Affiliation

^[1] Brazilian Ctr Res Energy & Mat CNPEM, Brazilian Nanotechnol Natl Lab LNNano, POB 6192, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Fed Univ ABC UFABC, Ctr Nat & Human Sci, BR-09210580 Santo Andre, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Carbohydrate Polymers; v. 256, MAR 15 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Supramolecular assembly of biobased components in water is a promising strategy to construct advanced materials. Herein, electrostatic complexation was used to prepare wet-resilient foams with improved mechanical property. Small-angle X-ray scattering and cryo-transmission electron microscopy experiments showed that suspensions with oppositely charged cellulose nanofibers are a mixture of clusters and networks of entangled fibers. The balance between these structures governs the colloidal stability and the rheological behavior of CNFs in water. Foams prepared from suspensions exhibited maximum compressive modulus at the mass composition of 1:1 (ca 0.12 MPa), suggesting that meaningful attractive interactions happen at this point and act as stiffening structure in the material. Besides the electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic contacts may also occur within the clustering, improving the water stability of cationic foams. These results may provide a basis for the development of robust allcellulose materials prepared in water, with nontoxic chemicals. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/04514-7 - Cellulose nanoparticles as rheology modifiers for complex fluids
• Grantee: Juliana da Silva Bernardes
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Regular Program Grants