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Cellulose nanocrystals with CO2-switchable aggregation and redispersion properties

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Abstract

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were modified through a one-step 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI)-mediated coupling with 1-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole (APIm). The CNC-APIm prepared could be readily dispersed into carbonated water. Subsequent sparging of N2 into the dispersion gave rise to the formation of aggregates. This dispersion/aggregation cycle was reproducible by alternatively sparging CO2/N2 into the CNC-APIm aqueous dispersion, indicating that the chemically bonded imidazole groups on the CNC surface were stable and could respond to the CO2 stimulus in an effective and repeatable manner. Moreover, above certain concentrations (around 5.5–10 mg/ml) the CNC-APIm dispersion could be gelled in the presence of N2 while subsequent sparging CO2 could break the gel and regenerate a low viscosity CNC-APIm dispersion. This dispersion-gelation conversion was reversible by alternatively switching between sparging CO2 and N2. To our knowledge, the present work is the first report of CO2-switchable CNCs.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Strategic Grants Program, Ontario Research Chairs Program (MFC), and the Canada Research Chairs Program (PC and PGJ). Ms. Julie McLachlan, Dr. Dominik Wechsler, Ms. Yun Yang, and Dr. Craig Wheaton (GreenCentre Canada) as well as Dr. Francoise Sauriol (Queen’s University) are acknowledged for assistance with IR and NMR spectroscopies. Prof. Dominik P.J. Barz and Dr. Kalam Mir (Queen’s University) are thanked for allowing access to instruments and assistance with some zeta potential/size measurements, respectively. Many thanks also go to Dr. Xiaohu Yan (Queen’s University) for assistance with TEM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University, 19 Division Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Hai-Dong Wang & Michael F. Cunningham

  2. Department of Chemistry, Queen’s University, 90 Bader Lane, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Philip G. Jessop

  3. FPInnovations, 570 St. Jean Boulevard, Pointe-Claire, QC, H9R 3J9, Canada

    Jean Bouchard

  4. Department of Civil Engineering, Queen’s University, 58 University Avenue, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Pascale Champagne

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  1. Hai-Dong Wang
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  2. Philip G. Jessop
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  4. Pascale Champagne
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  5. Michael F. Cunningham
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Correspondence to Pascale Champagne or Michael F. Cunningham.

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Wang, HD., Jessop, P.G., Bouchard, J. et al. Cellulose nanocrystals with CO2-switchable aggregation and redispersion properties. Cellulose 22, 3105–3116 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-015-0690-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-015-0690-3

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