Ultrathin films of aligned cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were assembled on mica supports by using electric field-assisted shear. The relationship between polarization gradients and strain mechanics of the obtained films was examined by monitoring their deflection with an atomic force microscope operated in contact mode. The piezoelectric response of the films was ascribed to the collective cont...

Synthetic nanoparticles have already been detected in the aquatic environment. Therefore, knowledge on their biodegradability is of utmost importance for risk assessment but such information is currently not available. Therefore, the biodegradability of fullerenes, single, double, multi-walled as well as COOH functionalized carbon nanotubes and cellulose and starch nanocrystals in aqueous envir...

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), also called cellulose nanowhiskers, cellulose nanorods, or nanocrystalline cellulose, were prepared from Phyllostachys heterocycla using a commercial cellulase for hydrolysis. The enzymatic hydrolysis process and application performance as well as the biocompatibility of the CNCs were investigated. Here, the cellulase hydrolysis conditions were optimized at a cell...

A brick-and-mortar-like ultrasoft nanocomposite metallogel is formed by crosslinking cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) with ammonium zirconium carbonate (AZC) to trap and reconfigure dextran, a model biomacromolecule. The bricks (CNC) reinforce the metallogel, compete with dextran in reacting with AZC, and decouple long-time dextran dynamics from network formation, while the mortar (AZC) imparts bim...

Cellulose nanocrystals were converted into ratiometric pH-sensing nanoparticles by dual fluorescent labelling employing a facile one-pot procedure. A simple and versatile three-step procedure was also demonstrated extending the number of fluorophores available for grafting. In this method an amine group was introduced via esterification followed by a thiol-ene click reaction.

The right-handed twist along aqueous dispersed cellulose nanocrystals allows right-handed chiral plasmonics upon electrostatic binding of gold nanoparticles in dilute environment, through tuning the particle sizes and concentrations. Simulations using nanoparticle coordinates from cryo-electron tomography confirm the experimental results. The finding suggests generalization for other chiral and...

Structured biofoams have been prepared from the readily available renewable biopolymer xylan by employing an icetemplating technique, where the pore morphology of the material can be controlled by the solidification conditions and the molecular structure of the polysaccharide. Furthermore, reinforcement of these biodegradable foams using cellulose nanocrystals shows potential for strongly impro...

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are a renewable nanomaterials platform. Their characteristic one-dimensional morphology and surface chemistry offer opportunities for the templated synthesis of functional nanorods nanotubes. Here we report the...