Mesoporous Cellulose Scaffoldings
Abstract
Cellulose, the worlds most abundant biopolymer, forms the foundation of numerous durable, renewable materials such as cotton. Through Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) with ionic liquids, cotton can be engineered into a functional biocomposite without destroying the desirable material properties it has evolved over millennia. Our lab has recently discovered how to use NFW to transform a low surface area native cotton textile into a high surface area mesoporous scaffold. After re-exposure to a polar solvent and subsequent solvent removal, this scaffold collapses into a low surface area structure with closed pores. In the current study, we explore how to use this mechanism to trap two different kinds of functional nanoparticles into cotton textiles: (i) 5 nm diameter titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) for UV protection and (ii) a metal organic framework (MOF, UiO-67) catalyst to degrade chemical nerve agents. Diffuse transmittance UV/Vis spectroscopy was used to measure the UV-protective properties of the TiO2NP composite textiles, while nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and UV/Vis spectroscopy were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the MOF composite textiles. In each case, the data reveals the advantage of preparing functional biocomposites from mesoporous cellulose scaffolds, where effective nanoparticle loadings and desired physicochemical properties are achieved, even after prolonged rinsing in water.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 16, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1207064
Entities
People
- Anders J. Gulbrandson
Organizations
- United States Naval Academy