Ion conductivity through TEMPO-mediated oxidated and periodate oxidated cellulose membranes

Cellulose in different forms is increasingly used due to sustainability aspects. Even though cellulose itself is an isolating material, it might affect ion transport in electronic applications. This effect is important to understand for instance in the design of cellulose-based supercapacitors. To test the ion conductivity through membranes made from cellulose nanofibril (CNF) materials, different electrolytes chosen with respect to the Hofmeister series were studied. The CNF samples were oxidised to three different surface charge levels via 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO), and a second batch was further cross-linked by periodate oxidation to increase wet strength and stability. The outcome showed that the CNF pre-treatment and choice of electrolyte are both crucial to the ion conductivity through the membranes. Significant specific ion effects were observed for the TEMPO-oxidised CNF. Periodate oxidated CNF showed low ion conductivity for all electrolytes tested due to an inhibited swelling caused by the crosslinking reaction.