Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), typically isolated by strong sulfuric acid hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass, are renewable, sustainable nanomaterials. CNCs are self-twisted, highly crystalline, rod-shaped with the dimension of 5-30 nm in diameter and 100-300 nm in length. CNCs have a fascinating property that they can organize in aqueous suspension at a critical concentration into chiral nematic liquid crystals. The resulting chiral nematic structure forms a layered structure during drying into a thin solid film. The cholesteric order with helical dimensions in the visible wavelength leads to a photonic band gap (PBG) in the visible region and can act as a 1-D photonic structure. In this communication, Inspired by nature, we develop a facile, waterborne self-assembly pathway to mimic the multiscale cuticle structure of the crustacean armor by combining cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with various soft polymers (synthetic linear polymer, synthetic star polymer, biopolymer). We will present iridescent CNC nanocomposites with cholesteric liquid-crystal structure, in which different helical pitches and PBGs can be realized by varying the CNC/polymer ratio. After this deep understanding, we will show the adaptivity of such bioinspired CNC nanocomposites, which triggered via external stimuli including humidity, salt solution or electrical field. Our developed CNC nanocomposites would open avenues toward combining photonic properties, multilayer structures, and mechanical robustness. This will be important for developing CNC-based photonic devices and for targeting advanced, high-performance, bioinspired and ordered nanocomposites based on renewable CNCs.

Polymer-assisted modulation of photonic bandgap in cellulose nanocrystal nanocomposite towards adaptive materials

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.