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Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) Optical Fibers for Environment Sensing and Short-Range Optical Signal Transmission
Aayush Kumar Jaiswal1, Ari Hokkanen2, Markku Kapulainen2
1Biomaterial Processing and Products, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Tietotie 4E, 02044 Espoo, Finland.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|January 10, 2022
Summary
Sustainable optical fibers made from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) offer biocompatibility and biodegradability. These novel cellulose-based optical fibers show promise for advanced sensor applications, including biomedical uses.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Materials Science
- Biocompatible Materials Development
Background:
- Conventional optical fibers rely on fossil-based polymers, leading to sustainability issues and environmental concerns.
- Cellulose-based materials present a renewable, biocompatible, and biodegradable alternative for optical fiber fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for creating core-only optical fibers.
- To evaluate the optical properties and sensing capabilities of CMC-based optical fibers.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of optical fibers using wet-spun CMC hydrogel filaments cross-linked with aluminum ions.
- Characterization of transmission spectra and attenuation coefficients.
- Demonstration of sensing applications (touch and respiratory monitoring) and signal transmission.
Main Results:
- Cladding-free CMC fibers exhibit a light transmission window between 550-1350 nm.
- An attenuation coefficient of 1.6 dB·cm⁻¹ was measured at 637 nm.
- Successful application in touch sensing, respiratory monitoring, and high-speed (150 Mbit/s) signal transmission in air and water.
Conclusions:
- Carboxymethyl cellulose is a viable material for producing biocompatible optical fibers.
- CMC optical fibers demonstrate potential for advanced sensor applications, particularly in the biomedical field.
- This work establishes a sustainable alternative for optical fiber technology.
