Cellulose nanocrystal submonolayers by spin coating

Dilute concentrations of cellulose nanocrystal solutions were spin coated onto different substrates to investigate the effect of the substrate on the nanocrystal submonolayers. Three substrates were probed: silica, titania, and amorphous cellulose. According to atomic force microscopy (AFM) images, anionic cellulose nanocrystals formed small aggregates on the anionic silica substrate, whereas a uniform two-dimensional distribution of nanocrystals was achieved on the cationic titania substrate. The uniform distribution of cellulose nanocrystal submonolayers on titania is an important factor when dimensional analysis of the nanocrystals is desired. Furthermore, the amount of nanocrystals deposited on titania was multifold in comparison to the amounts on silica, as revealed by AFM image analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Amorphous cellulose, the third substrate, resulted in a somewhat homogeneous distribution of the nanocrystal submonolayers, but the amounts were as low as those on the silica substrate. These differences in the cellulose nanocrystal deposition were attributed to electrostatic effects: anionic cellulose nanocrystals are adsorbed on cationic titania in addition to the normal spin coating deposition. The anionic silica surface, on the other hand, causes aggregation of the weakly anionic cellulose nanocrystals which are forced on the repulsive substrate by spin coating. The electrostatically driven adsorption also influences the film thickness of continuous ultrathin films of cellulose nanocrystals. The thicker films of charged nanocrystals on a substrate of opposite charge means that the film thickness is not independent of the substrate when spin coating cellulose nanocrystals in the ultrathin regime (< 100 nm).