Cellulose nanomaterials (CN) shows great promise for commercial applications in a broad range of products including paper, polymer composites, electronics, paints, concreate, and insulation. A wide variety of chemistries have been developed to label and track these CN. This includes the use of such reactions as dichlorotriazine/alcohol, Schiff base, and esterification reactions with good success. However, many of the labeling strategies show weakness with regards to chemical bond stability. Dye-CN bonds can be destroyed through simple changes in pH for example or other labeling strategies interrupt the cellulose molecular structure in a major way which is the case for Schiff base. In addition, typical fluorescence labeling of CN results in fluorescent CN. This does not offer much more than the ability to track the location of these materials. Introduction of stimuli responsive fluorogenic probes to the CN surface through less labile bonds would enable a larger scope of metrologies. In this work we present the chemical modification of cellulose nanofibrils with fluorogenic probes capable of going from quenched to fluorescent state in response to external stimuli. These dyes are attached through relatively stable chemical bonds with respect to pH changes and processing temperatures. This will allow for control over the fluorescence signature from the modified CNF; in addition, it enables the study of the immediate environment about the CNF through the detection of activation events, fluorescence intensity, and fluorescence lifetime.

Surface functionalized cellulose nanomaterials with fluorogenic probes

254th National Meeting (2017)

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