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Towards Biomimicking Wood: Fabricated Free-standing Films of Nanocellulose, Lignin, and a Synthetic Polycation
Published on: June 17, 2014
Bi-layer formation of imidazole-modified ethyl(hydroxyethyl)cellulose at a hydrophobic surface as monitored by QCM-D
Jesper Hedin1, Dan Isaksson, Markus Andersson
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Applied Surface Chemistry, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden. jesper.hedin@chalmers.se
Abstract:
The adsorption behaviour of ethyl(hydroxyethyl)cellulose chemically modified with imidazole (Im-EHEC) at hydrophobic surfaces has been studied with QCM-D. The very slow adsorption isotherm was due to a continuous polymer film reconfiguration and exchange of different sized polymers. The thickness of the film was about 30 nm. The polymers adsorbed Cu(2+) ions into the film from a CuCl(2) solution and a bi-layer was formed when Im-EHEC was added a second time. The second polymer film was only 7 nm thick but highly viscoelastic. After rinsing with water the metal ions was flushed away and the second Im-EHEC layer was released. The imidazole modification of EHEC enables interaction with transition metal ions and opens up for new applications for cellulose based materials.

