title: Renewable and functional wood materials by grafting polymerization within cell walls.
abstract: A "grafting-from" polymerization approach within and at the complex and heterogeneous macromolecular assembly of wood cell walls is shown. The approach allows for the implementation of novel functionalities in renewable and functional wood-based materials. The native wood structure is retained and used as a hierarchical multiscale framework for a modular two-step polymerization process. The versatility and potential of the approach is shown by a polymerization of either hydrophobic or hydrophilic and pH-responsive monomers in the wood structure. Characterization of the modified wood reveals the presence of polymer in the cell wall, and the new properties of these wood materials are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Wood Materials Science, Institute for Building Materials, ETH Zürich, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 3, 8093 Zürich (Switzerland); Applied Wood Materials, EMPA-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf (Switzerland). cabanee@ethz.ch.
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cabane
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keplinger
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Merk
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hass
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Burgert
mesh_terms: D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D058105:Polymerization; D017155:Wettability; D014934:Wood / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers
keywords: cellulose; graft polymerization; polymers; renewable resources; wood cell wall