Abstract

To fabricate robust nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) hydro/aerogels, benign solution/solvent exchange treatment was developed by adding five different water miscible solutions/solvents into a NFC aqueous suspension. The NFC self-aggregated and formed self-standing gels during the solution/solvent exchange treatment. After a further exchange of solution/solvent inside the gels with water by a thorough water washing followed by freeze-drying, NFC hydrogels and aerogels were obtained. The NaOH-hydrogel demonstrated a decent rheology with a storage modulus of 36.4 kPa and a satisfactory mechanical property with a compressive modulus of 37.6 kPa. On the contrary, the acetone-hydrogel was weak due to disaggregation. The NFC aerogels were lightweight and had a characteristic porous structure. The packing density and structure varied among aerogels with different solution/solvent treatments. The NaOH-aerogel had a 2D sheet-like structure with densely packed micrometer-sized pores uniformly distributed within the a...

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