title: Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Cellulose Nanocrystals in a Confined Geometry.
abstract: Complex hierarchical architectures are ubiquitous in nature. By designing and controlling the interaction between elementary building blocks, nature is able to optimize a large variety of materials with multiple functionalities. Such control is, however, extremely challenging in man-made materials, due to the difficulties in controlling their interaction at different length scales simultaneously. Here, hierarchical cholesteric architectures are obtained by the self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals within shrinking, micron-sized aqueous droplets. This confined, spherical geometry drastically affects the colloidal self-assembly process, resulting in concentric ordering within the droplet, as confirmed by simulation. This provides a quantitative tool to study the interactions of cellulose nanocrystals beyond what has been achieved in a planar geometry. Our developed methodology allows us to fabricate truly hierarchical solid-state architectures from the nanometer to the macroscopic scale using a renewable and sustainable biopolymer.
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.
authors: Richard M
authors: RM
authors: Parker
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Frka-Petesic
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.
authors: Giulia
authors: G
authors: Guidetti
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.
authors: Gen
authors: G
authors: Kamita
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.
authors: Gioele
authors: G
authors: Consani
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.
authors: Chris
authors: C
authors: Abell
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Vignolini
keywords: cellulose nanocrystals; colloidal self-assembly; hierarchical architecture; liquid crystals; microfluidics