Derived from the most abundant natural polymeric material, cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) is one class of nanocellulose materials that can be created by the acid-induced hydrolysis approach. The relatively short aspect ratio and rigidity of CNC enable it to possess lyotropic liquid crystal properties, i.e., CNC particles can self-assemble into an ordered nematic/chiral nematic phase. Furthermore, by increasing the particle concentration and/or decreasing inter-particle repulsion, the suspension state CNCs can transit into a glassy state. With high opacity and biodegradability, CNCs in such a state are promising materials in applications such as green scaffolding and optical devices. However, the manipulation of these novel structures requires precise control of processing conditions. One of the important factors is the aging effect since the CNC structure can change with time, resulting in alternation of physical properties. In this study, the diffusive particle dynamics of charge stabilized CNCs undergoing various resting times were probed directly by X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) techniques. The results exhibited how the CNC particles and network dynamics could slow down with time. In addition, the relationship between the dynamics and structural evolution of the nanocellulose network was revealed quantitatively. The study provides guidance on setting the time scales for both experimental study and material processing of CNCs at high concentrations.

Investigate the resting time-dependent dynamics of charge-stabilized cellulose nanocrystals network by X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy

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ACS Fall 2022

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