Fundamental Properties of Nanocellulose

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Other Title
  • ナノセルロースの基礎物性
  • ナノセルロース ノ キソ ブッセイ

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Abstract

Cellulose is the most abundant polymer on earth, and is produced in plant cell walls as highly crystalline microfibrils consisting of fully extended and uniaxially aligned cellulose molecules. These microfibrils have very small widths (3 nm), high aspect ratios (>300), high elastic moduli (110-140 GPa), a low coefficient of thermal expansion (6 ppm K-1), and large surface areas (900 m2 g-1). Owing to these characteristics, cellulose microfibrils have recently been attracting much interest as structural components in nanomaterials. These microfibrils have the potential to be applied as reinforcements in composite materials and high-capacity supports for catalyst, conducting, and magnetic materials. However, because individual cellulose microfibrils are strongly associated with each other in plant cell walls, it is essential to fibrillate cellulose before new materials consisting of cellulose microfibrils can be developed.<BR>In this context, it has been found that cellulose can be fully dispersed in water as individual microfibrils via the application of a topological surface carboxylation reaction on cellulose microfibrils using 2, 2, 6, 6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxyl (TEMPO) as a catalyst. The dispersed microfibrils spontaneously align in water. The integration controls of the self-aligned microfibrils, i. e., careful adjustment of the pH and evaporation of the solvent in the microfibril dispersions, produces a wide range of artificial bulk materials with outstanding properties. Examples include unprecedentedly stiff hydrogels that are free-standing with a water content of 99.9%, ultralow-density, tough aerogels with large surface-areas, and transparent films with exceptionally high oxygen-barrier properties. These materials are expected to further develop as robust frameworks of polymer nanocomposites or high-capacity supports of catalysts and the other functional materials.

Journal

  • JAPAN TAPPI JOURNAL

    JAPAN TAPPI JOURNAL 68 (8), 837-840, 2014

    JAPAN TECHNICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY

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