This paper presents novel cellulose aerogels created by optimizing self-assembling and electrospinning approaches into unique cellular and pore morphologies and tunable surface hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity for versatile applications including polar/non-polar liquid separation, water purification, catalysis and ion diffusion. Cellulose nano-fibers and sub-micron sized fibers have been electrospun with varied pore and shealth-core structures as well as chemical functionalities. 1D nano-arrays of highly crystalline nanocellulose in varied geometries and surface chemistries have been derived from the waste streams of our food system. These nanocelluloses are not only amphiphilic but can also be tuned to be surface charged to act as surface active agents, coagulants for microbes, templates for nano-particles and nano-prisms and to self-assemble into various porours structures. Cellulose aerogels have been facilely engineered from either nanocellulose or electrospun cellulose nanofibers alone as well as in combination to exhibit super-absorbency, wet-resiliency, dry strength and tunable amphiphilic-to-hydrophobic characteristics

Cellulose aerogels via self-assembling and electrospinning

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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