Abstract
Assembly of bio-based nano-sized particles into complex architectures and morphologies is an area of fundamental interest and technical importance. We have investigated the assembly of sulfonated cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) dispersed in a shrinking levitating aqueous drop using time-resolved small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Analysis of the scaling of the particle separation distance (d) with particle concentration (c) was used to follow the transition of CNC dispersions from an isotropic state at 1-2 vol% to a compressed nematic state at particle concentrations above 30 vol%. Comparison with SAXS measurements on CNC dispersions at near equilibrium conditions shows that evaporation-induced assembly of CNC in large levitating drops is comparable to bulk systems. Colloidal states with d vs. c scalings intermediate between isotropic dispersions and unidirectional compression of the nematic structure could be related to the biphasic region and gelation of CNC. Nanoscale structural information of CNC assembly up to very high particle concentrations can help to fabricate nanocellulose-based materials by evaporative methods.
Highlights
Of nano-sized building blocks into complex architectures is both a promising route for the fabrication of functional materials and a design principle in nature.[1,2,3,4] With the significant advances during the last decades in tailoring assembled structures and functionalities of synthetic nanoparticles,[5,6] there is a rapidly growing interest to utilise nanoparticles from renewable sources in sustainable materials
The volume change of the surfactant-free drop was continuously monitored as the water evaporated, and we probed the structural features of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) dispersions from 1 vol% to ∼38 vol%, which is significantly higher than previous studies have investigated
We have followed the evaporation-induced assembly of CNC in aqueous levitating drops using in situ small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)
Summary
Of nano-sized building blocks into complex architectures is both a promising route for the fabrication of functional materials and a design principle in nature.[1,2,3,4] With the significant advances during the last decades in tailoring assembled structures and functionalities of synthetic nanoparticles,[5,6] there is a rapidly growing interest to utilise nanoparticles from renewable sources in sustainable materials. We have quantified the nanoscale assembly of cellulose nanocrystals in an acoustically levitating drop by time-resolved small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS).
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