Simon D., Kadiri Y., Picard G.
Ahuntsic College, CA
Keywords: cellulose, crystallite, magnetic, optics, photonic.
(NCC) are tubes, about 200 nm long and 20 nm in diameter. This is a natural product, found in wood. It is separated by paper mills from long fibers, and rejected in mass volumes. In a small scale laboratory, it can be extracted and purified in kilogram amounts daily. With unmodified NCCs, optical properties like iridescence and polarization were found either in aqueous suspension or in a dry state, due to the NCC’s natural properties to self align under specific physico-chemical conditions. Moreover, various materials can be introduced in the tube inner volume, the lumen, providing them with electro-magnetic properties suitable for various specific applications. In this work, we present optical, electric, magnetic and photonic properties of NCCs, studied with AFM microscopy, transmission and fluorescence spectroscopy. The crystallites were also investigated by computer simulations, with three-axis orientations and spatial distribution, either in the natural form or after simulated modifications. A good match was found for most cases between the simulations and the experimental data. Therefore, targeted properties tailored for industrial processes and commercial applications can be obtained. This shows that NCC is a versatile natural nanoparticle, with no toxicity, and large scale potential.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 1, Nanotechnology 2008: Materials, Fabrication, Particles, and Characterization – Technical Proceedings of the 2008 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Trade Show, Volume 1
Published: June 1, 2008
Pages: 840 - 843
Industry sector: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
Topic: Materials Characterization & Imaging
ISBN: 978-1-4200-8503-7