Stimuli-responsive nanocomposite materials which change their mechanical properties in response to external stimuli have attracted significant interest for using in broad spectrum applications. The incorporation of high-stiffness, high-surface-area nanofibers with switchable interactions into a polymer matrix has rapidly emerged as a versatile design strategy to create nanocomposites properties that react to a variety of stimuli. We will present our experimental research focused on the design, synthesis and possible applications of photo-responsive cellulose nanofibers, which can act as an adaptive filler within a soft polymer matrix, as well as provide a handle to tune the interactions within the nanocomposite. Photoactive moieties have been covalently attached to cellulose nanofibers and we show that both irreversible and reversible changes can be optically induced as a result of altering the interactions between the nanofibers and therewith the mechanical properties of materials comprising these fillers.

Photo-responsive mechanically adaptive bio-nanocomposites

245th National Meeting (2013)

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