sc8b02284_si_001.pdf (5.02 MB)
Ester Crosslinking Enhanced Hydrophilic Cellulose Nanofibrils Aerogel
journal contribution
posted on 2018-08-03, 00:00 authored by Yulong Li, Yushang Liu, Yang Liu, Wenchuan Lai, Feng Huang, Anping Ou, Rui Qin, Xiangyang Liu, Xu WangThe
ester cross-linking of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) aerogel was
carried out by a facile and highly effective gas–solid fluorinating
reaction without the assistance of organic solvent. The fluorination
achieved the coexistence of covalent cross-linking and more hydrophilic
groups, simultaneously endowing the fluorine-treated CNFs (F-CNFs)
aerogel with enduring water-durable and enhanced hydrophilic properties.
Hydrogen bond interactions between cellulose nanofibers are replaced
by covalent cross-linking of ester bonds, which makes the CNFs aggregate
more tightly and thus facilitates the enhancement of mechanical properties
of F-CNF aerogel. Meanwhile, the F-CNF aerogel exhibited ultralight
weight, excellent mechanical properties (123.4 KPa at 85% strain),
and water absorption (123.65 g/g), while having good shape memory
performance. What’s more, there was not any exotic element
introduced into F-CNFs, which can thus maximize the possibility for
the final materials to maintain the excellent biological properties
of the original CNFs.