Checkered Films of Multiaxis Oriented Nanocelluloses by Liquid-Phase Three-Dimensional Patterning

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Developing in-plane multiaxis oriented nanocellulose films is crucial for thermal and optical management applications.
• Conventional methods struggle to achieve multi-directional in-plane alignment of nanocellulose, often resulting in thickness-aligned structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel liquid-phase three-dimensional (3D) patterning technique for creating nanocellulose films with controlled multiaxis in-plane orientation.
• To demonstrate the capability of this technique in producing patterned films with programmable orthogonal molecular axis orientations.

Main Methods:

• Combined wet spinning and 3D printing to create a liquid-phase 3D patterning technique.
• Fabricated checkered nanocellulose films with precisely controlled, multiaxis oriented nanocellulose domains.

Main Results:

• Successfully produced checkered films exhibiting similar retardation levels but with programmed orthogonal molecular axis orientations in each domain.
• Observed enhanced thermal transport in domains where the oriented nanocellulose pattern was parallel to the heat flow.

Conclusions:

• The developed liquid-phase 3D patterning technique enables bottom-up design of nanocellulose films with tailored in-plane orientations.
• This approach offers a pathway for creating sophisticated optical and thermal management materials by controlling nanocellulose alignment.