Search for: All records

In recent years, nanocellulose has emerged as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional petroleum-derived structural polymers. Sourced either from plants, algae, or bacteria, nanocellulose can be processed into colloid, gel, film and fiber forms. However, the required fundamental understanding of process parameters that govern the morphology and structure–property relationships of nanocellulose systems, from colloidal suspensions to bulk materials, has not been developed and generalized for all forms of cellulose. This further hinders the more widespread adoption of this biopolymer in applications. Our study investigates the dispersion of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) produced by a bacterial–yeast co-culture, in solvents, highlighting the role of thermodynamic interactions in influencing their colloidal behavior. By adjusting Hansen solubility parameters, we controlled the thermodynamic relationship between CNFs and solvents across various concentrations, studying the dilute to semi-dilute regimes. Rheological measurements revealed that the threshold at which a concentration-based regime transition occurs is distinctly solvent-dependent. Complementing rheological analysis with small angle X-ray scattering and zeta potential measurements, our findings reveal that enhancing CNF–solvent interactions increases excluded volume in the dilute regime, emphasizing the importance of the balance between fiber–fiber and fiber–solvent interactions. Moreover, we investigated the transition from colloidal to solid state by creating films from dispersions with varying interaction parameters in semi-dilute regimes. Through mechanical testing and scanning electron microscopy imaging of the fracture surfaces, we highlight the significance of electrokinetic effects in such transitions, as dispersions with higher electrokinetic stabilization gave rise to stronger and tougher films despite having less favorable thermodynamic interaction parameters. Our work provides insights into the thermodynamic and electrokinetic interplay that governs bacterial CNF dispersion, offering a foundation for future application and a deeper understanding of nanocellulose's colloidal and structure-property relationships. 

Abstract Recently, 2D electron gases have been observed in atomically thin semiconducting crystals, enabling the observation of rich physical phenomena at the quantum level within the ultimate thickness limit. However, the observation of 2D electron gases and subsequent quantum Hall effect require exceptionally high crystalline quality, rendering mechanical exfoliation as the only method to produce high‐quality 2D semiconductors of black phosphorus and indium selenide (InSe), which hinder large‐scale device applications. Here, the controlled one‐step synthesis of high‐quality 2D InSe thin films via chemical vapor transport method is reported. The carrier Hall mobility of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) encapsulated InSe flakes can be up to 5000 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹at 1.5 K, enabling to observe the quantum Hall effect in a synthesized van der Waals semiconductor. The existence of the quantum Hall effect in directly synthesized 2D semiconductors indicates a high quality of the chemically synthesized 2D semiconductors, which hold promise in quantum devices and applications with high mobility.