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Novel Nanocellulose/Polymer Composite Aerogel as Solid‐State Fluorescence Probe by Pickering Emulsion Route
Author(s) -
Li Shuai,
Zhou Changbing,
He Yingying,
Liu Hongxia,
Zhou Li,
Yu Chuanbai,
Wei Chun,
Wang Chaoyang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
macromolecular materials and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.913
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1439-2054
pISSN - 1438-7492
DOI - 10.1002/mame.202000467
Subject(s) - aerogel , pickering emulsion , materials science , nanocellulose , polymer , composite number , chemical engineering , epoxidized soybean oil , emulsion , polylactic acid , polystyrene , polymerization , polymer chemistry , composite material , cellulose , nanoparticle , organic chemistry , nanotechnology , chemistry , raw material , engineering
In this study, cellulose nanofibrils (CNF)/polymer (nonwater soluble) composite aerogels are facilely fabricated using CNF‐stabilized Pickering emulsion gel technology combined with the freeze‐drying method. Pior to the formation of the O/W Pickering emulsion stabilized by the CNF, a nonwater‐soluble polymer, such as polymethyl methacrylate, polylactic acid (PLA), polycabonate, polystyrene, and so on, is dissolved into the oil phase, and the CNF are effectively dispersed in the water phase. The subsequent gelation of the Pickering emulsion through ultrasonic emulsification followed by freeze‐drying is carried out to obtain the CNF/polymer composite aerogels. The obtained CNF/polymer with a low density of ≈0.01g cm −3 have better dimentional stability and mechanical properties compared with the pure CNF aerogel. Additionally, 1,4‐dihydroxyanthraquinone (1,4‐DHAQ, a fluorophore) is loaded into the A‐CNF/PLA composite aerogel by dissolving it along with PLA into the oil phase to form a novel solid‐state fluorescence probe for Cu 2+ detection with an extremely low detection concentration of 10 −8 mol L −1 . Interestingly, neither solvent exchange nor chemical reaction (or polymerization) is required in the preparation of aerogels. This study provides a facile and universal route for the fabrication of CNF/polymer composite aerogels and the development of their functional products.