title: Rod Packing in Chiral Nematic Cellulose Nanocrystal Dispersions Studied by Small-Angle X-ray Scattering and Laser Diffraction.
abstract: The packing of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) in the anisotropic chiral nematic phase has been investigated over a wide concentration range by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and laser diffraction. The average separation distance between the CNCs and the average pitch of the chiral nematic phase have been determined over the entire isotropic-anisotropic biphasic region. The average separation distances range from 51 nm, at the onset of the anisotropic phase formation, to 25 nm above 6 vol % (fully liquid crystalline phase) whereas the average pitch varies from ≈15 μm down to ≈2 μm as ϕ increases from 2.5 up to 6.5 vol %. Using the cholesteric order, we determine that the twist angle between neighboring CNCs increases from about 1° up to 4° as ϕ increases from 2.5 up to 6.5 vol %. The dependence of the twisting on the volume fraction was related to the increase in the magnitude of the repulsive interactions between the charged rods as the average separation distance decreases.
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.|‡Wallenberg Wood Science Center, KTH, 100 44 Stockholm Sweden.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schütz
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agthe
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Andreas B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Fall
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Korneliya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gordeyeva
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.|‡Wallenberg Wood Science Center, KTH, 100 44 Stockholm Sweden.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guccini
authors.affiliation: §Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0371, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salajková
authors.affiliation: ∥MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University, PO Box 118, 221 00 Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tomás S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Plivelic
authors.affiliation: ⊥Physics and Materials Science Research Unit, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg City 1511, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Jan P F
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lagerwall
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.|‡Wallenberg Wood Science Center, KTH, 100 44 Stockholm Sweden.
authors.forename: German
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salazar-Alvarez
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bergström
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D007834:Lasers; D008027:Light; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D053838:Scattering, Small Angle; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D002482:Cellulose