Nanocomposites utilizing cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are a burgeoning area of research. CNCs are attractive as reinforcing fillers on account of their high tensile stiffness (up to ca. 140 GPa) and relative abundance in nature. They can be obtained from a range of biosources (e.g. plants such as cotton, wood, wheat straw or sea creatures known as tunicates) and can vary in aspect ratio (ca. 10 to 100) depending on the biosource. We have recently reported the ability of these nanocomposites to change their mechanical properties upon application of a stimulus. By controlling the surface chemistry of the CNC we can control not only the stimulus required to illicit the response but also the nature of the response itself. Thus we have been able to access materials (1) that can either transition from stiff to soft or soft to stiff upon exposure to heat/water, (2) that are pH responsive, (3) with tailorable mechanical properties in both the stiff and soft states and (4) water-enhanced mechanical gradient materials. This talk will focus on our latest results on this class on responsive nanocomposites.

Stimuli-responsive mechanically dynamic cellulose nanocrystals

247th National Meeting (2014)

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