Efficient Labeling of Nanocellulose for High-Resolution Fluorescence Microscopy Applications

The visualization of naturally derived cellulose nanofibrils(CNFs) and nanocrystals (CNCs) within nanocomposite materials is key tothe development of packaging materials, tissue culture scaffolds, andemulsifying agents, among many other applications. In this work, we developa versatile and efficient two-step approach based on triazine and azide-alkyneclick-chemistry tofluorescently label nanocelluloses with a variety ofcommercially available dyes. We show that this method can be used tolabel bacterial cellulosefibrils, plant-derived CNFs, carboxymethylated CNFs,and CNCs with Cy5 andfluorescein derivatives to high degrees of labelingusing minimal amounts of dye while preserving their native morphology and crystalline structure. The ability to tune the labelingdensity with this method allowed us to prepare optimized samples that were used to visualize nanostructural features of cellulosethrough super-resolution microscopy. The efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and versatility of this method make it ideal for labelingnanocelluloses and imaging them through advanced microscopy techniques for a broad range of applications

Automated summary

A versatile and efficient method based on click chemistry has been developed to fluorescently label nanocelluloses while preserving their native morphology and crystalline structure. This method allows for high degrees of labeling using minimal amounts of dye, making it cost-effective and suitable for various applications.