Well-defined surface chemistry and retained nanofibrillar structure are crucial for gaining full performance of nanocellulosic materials in modern material science. Nevertheless there is evidence that pure never-dried cellulose surfaces become contaminated and nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) aggregates when in contact with air or other aprotic media, and as a consequence the efficient use of the cellulosic material is hampered. The aim of this work was to create a link between surface chemistry and surface accessibility of NFC. We demonstrate the effect of the amphiphilic nature of cellulose on the interactions with various solvents. For this purpose X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and contact angle measurements are combined. Special focus is laid on the changes in surface energy of cellulose in different media. The findings are general for cellulosic samples but critical for efficient surface modification and use of NFC in various applications and thus the experimental examples are on NFC.

Controlling the surface accessibility of nanofibrillated cellulose

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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