Issue 26, 2007
From the journal:

Journal of Materials Chemistry

Nanocomposites based on cellulose whiskers and (semi)conducting conjugated polymers

Otto van den Berg,a   Michael Schroeter,ab   Jeffrey R. Capadonaac  and  Christoph Weder*acd  

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 2100 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7202, USA

b GKSS Research Center GmbH, Institute for Polymer Research, Kanstr. 55, 14513 Teltow, Germany

c L. Stokes Cleveland Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, 10701 East Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA

d Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7078, USA

Abstract

Two examples of a new class of functional nanocomposites derived from cellulose nanofibers (referred to as “whiskers”) and (semi)conducting π-conjugated polymers were prepared and studied. The conjugated polymers used were polyaniline (PANI) and a poly(p-phenylene ethynylene) (PPE) derivative with quaternary ammonium side chains. Cellulose whiskers with a typical diameter of around 20 nm, a length of around 1–2 µm, and anionic surface charges were combined with the positively charged π-conjugated polymers to form stable dispersions in polar solvents such as formic acid. Thin films were produced by solution-casting. Their composition was systematically varied to comprise between 65 and 99.4% w/w of the whiskers. Measurements of electrical conductivity, photoluminescence, and mechanical properties reveal that the nanocomposites synergistically combine the electronic characteristics of the conjugated polymers with the outstanding mechanical characteristics of the cellulose scaffold.

Graphical abstract: Nanocomposites based on cellulose whiskers and (semi)conducting conjugated polymers

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/B700878C
Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Jan 2007
Accepted
05 Apr 2007
First published
26 Apr 2007

J. Mater. Chem., 2007,17, 2746-2753

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Nanocomposites based on cellulose whiskers and (semi)conducting conjugated polymers

O. van den Berg, M. Schroeter, J. R. Capadona and C. Weder, J. Mater. Chem., 2007, 17, 2746 DOI: 10.1039/B700878C

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