Journal
SMALL
Volume 14, Issue 46, Pages -Publisher
WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
DOI: 10.1002/smll.201803439
Keywords
aerogel; atomic layer deposition; cellulose nanocrystal; microscopy; polymer nanocomposites
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Funding
- Australian Awards Scholarship by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia
- Graduate School International Travel Awards (GSITA) by the University of Queensland (UQ)
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Analysis of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) at low volume fractions in polymer nanocomposites through conventional electron microscopy still remains a challenge due to insufficient contrast between CNCs and organic polymer matrices. Herein, a methodology for enhancing the contrast of CNC, through atomic layer deposition (ALD) of alumina (Al2O3) on CNCs is demonstrated. The metal oxide coated CNC allows clear visualization by transmission electron microscopy, when they are dispersed in water and polyol. A coating of about 6 +/- 1 nm thick alumina layer on the CNC is achieved after 50 ALD cycles. This also enables the characterization of CNC dispersion/orientation (at 0.2 wt% loading) in an amorphous cellular system rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF), using backscattered electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Microscopic analysis of the RPUF with alumina-coated CNC confirms that the predominant alignment of CNC occurs in a direction parallel to the foam rise.
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