title: Individually Dispersed Wood-Based Cellulose Nanocrystals.
abstract: Good dispersion of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in the polymer matrix is one of the key factors to obtaining good properties in the resulting nanocomposites. However, the preparation of individually dispersed CNCs in solvents or in polymer matrices has been a challenge. In this study, individually dispersed wood-based CNCs have been successfully prepared in solvents, including dimethylformamide (DMF), H2O, and a mixture of H2O/DMF, by sonication of moisture-containing CNCs. The CNCs dispersions were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS). It is found that CNCs containing above about 3.8 wt % moisture is critical for achieving individually dispersed CNC in solvents. Hydrodynamic radius (Rh) of CNCs is smaller in H2O/DMF co-solvent mixture than that in pure DMF or in pure H2O under same sonication treatment conditions. Experimental results have been corroborated using molecular simulation study.
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering and ‡Renewable Bioproducts Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
authors.forename: Huibin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering and ‡Renewable Bioproducts Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering and ‡Renewable Bioproducts Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
authors.forename: Amir A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Bakhtiary Davijani
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering and ‡Renewable Bioproducts Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
authors.forename: An-Ting
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering and ‡Renewable Bioproducts Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
authors.forename: Po-Hsiang
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering and ‡Renewable Bioproducts Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
authors.forename: H Clive
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering and ‡Renewable Bioproducts Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
authors.forename: Satish
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D004126:Dimethylformamide / Q000737:chemistry; D000067493:Dynamic Light Scattering; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D013010:Sonication; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D004126:Dimethylformamide; D002482:Cellulose
keywords: cellulose nanocrystals; co-solvent; dispersibility; hydrodynamic radius