Cellulose nanocrystal self-assembly to 1D-structures

Self-assembly, where particles cluster together autonomically, is an approach to create new materials for applications, such as electronic devices. However, the control over long-range
ordering of the formed structures needs more research to drive technological advancement. The shape and the range of the ordered structure is dictated by the properties on the particle surface as well as the conditions at which the self-assembly takes place. In this study, the nanoparticles used are nano-sized rod-like things made of cellulose, the building block of all plant material.
Cellulose as a fibre has ordered and disordered sections from which the ordered sections can be isolated as cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) that have reactive surfaces that can be readily modified.
The CNC surface can be selectively modified to contain groups to steer their self-assembly behaviour. Moreover, the other end of the crystal can be modified to direct the self-assembly to
form end-to-end interactions leading to a wire-like 1D-assembly. Additionally, the CNCs can be produced in a manner that leaves the CNCs already in an end-to-end associated assembly. This assembly could be preserved through selectively modifying the surfaces of the crystal, so that 1Dassemblies would emerge. Though 1D self-assembled structures have been reported before, CNC based 1D-assemblies would be a completely new approach in the field. We also aim to develop the method to fully control the structures we make in a scalable fashion.