Cellulose derivatives are a class of polymers that have received immense industrial and academic interest. These polymers find end use in a broad array of applications from construction materials, food products, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals. Methylcellulose (MC) is a modified polysaccharide in which there is a partial substitution of hydroxyl groups with methoxy moieties. This results in a polymer that is water soluble, however aqueous solutions of MC display gelation and phase separation (LCST) events as the temperature is raised. The detailed mechanism of the gelation process is not well understood. Elucidation of the physical structure(s) present in these materials can not only inform and constrict mechanistic considerations but also provide insight into their mechanical behavior. We report a characterization of the fibrillar structure of MC gels across a large range of length scales. The combination of cryo-electron microscopy, small angle neutron scattering (SANS), and ultra-small angle neutron scattering (USANS) provides a powerful suite of experimental methods to capture in both real and reciprocal space, the full spectrum of structures within MC materials.

Fibrillar structure of methylcellulose hydrogels

246th National Meeting (2013)

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