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Highly stiff yet elastic microcapsules incorporating cellulose nanofibrils
Gilad Kaufman1, Shomeek Mukhopadhyay, Yekaterina Rokhlenko
1Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. Chinedum.Osuji@yale.edu.
Soft Matter
|March 31, 2017
Summary
We developed a simple microfluidic method to create strong and flexible microcapsules using cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). These novel capsules exhibit excellent mechanical stability and elasticity, opening new possibilities for advanced material applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Microcapsules require high mechanical stability and elasticity for diverse applications.
- Existing fabrication methods may not offer sufficient control over mechanical properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a facile, single-step method for fabricating robust and elastic microcapsules.
- To investigate the influence of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) on microcapsule shell properties.
Main Methods:
- Microfluidic interfacial complexation was employed.
- High stiffness cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and a cationic random copolymer were used.
- Single-capsule compression tests were performed to evaluate mechanical properties.
Main Results:
- CNF-based microcapsules exhibited an elastic modulus of 53 MPa with 19% strain recovery.
- Polyacrylic acid (PAA) was used as a binder to tune shell modulus.
- Modulus was directly correlated with PAA concentration, reaching up to 0.5 GPa.
Conclusions:
- CNF incorporation offers a straightforward approach to producing microcapsules with enhanced strength and flexibility.
- The developed method allows for tunable mechanical properties of microcapsule shells.
- These findings present a promising route for advanced microcapsule design.