Flexible and Tailorable Alkylviologen/Cellulose Nanocrystals Composite Films for Sustainable Applications in Electrochromic Devices

Room-Temperature Self-Standing Cellulose-Based Hydrogel Electrolytes for Electrochemical Devices

The trend of research towards more sustainable materials is pushing the application of biopolymers in a variety of unexplored fields. In this regard, hydrogels are attracting significant attention as electrolytes for flexible electrochemical devices thanks to their combination of ionic conductivity and mechanical properties. In this context, we present the use of cellulose-based hydrogels as aqueous electrolytes for electrochemical devices. These materials were obtained by crosslinking of hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) with divinyl sulfone (DVS) in the presence of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), creating a semi-IPN structure. The reaction was confirmed by NMR and FTIR. The small-amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) technique revealed that the rheological properties could be conveniently varied by simply changing the gel composition. Additionally, the hydrogels presented high ionic conductivity in the range of mS cm⁻¹. The ease of synthesis and processing of the hydrogels allowed the assembly of an all-in-one electrochromic device (ECD) with high transmittance variation, improved switching time and good color efficiency. On the other hand, the swelling ability of the hydrogels permits the tuning of the electrolyte to improve the performance of a printed Zinc/MnO₂ primary battery. The results prove the potential of cellulose-based hydrogels as electrolytes for more sustainable electrochemical devices.

In-situ preparation of hollow cellulose nanocrystals/zeolitic imidazolate framework hybrid microspheres derived from Pickering emulsion

In situ interfacial growth of nanoparticles induced by a Pickering emulsion is recognized as a practical method for the fabrication of hollow composites. Herein, hybrid hollow microspheres were prepared using cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) emulsified water-dodecane system as a template. The hybrid microspheres were composed of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) shells and CNCs surface-layers. ZIF-8 crystals formed and grew at the oil-water interface with a low ligand/metal ion molar ratio. The composite microspheres owned rich porous structure with a high surface area of 1240 m² g^-1 and performed obvious hydrophilicity owing to the role of CNCs layers. The two characters offered CNCs/ZIF-8 composite materials with very prominent adsorption capacity towards dyes (1060.2 mg g^-1 for malachite green). Carbonization of CNCs/ZIF-8 composite materials afford ZIF-8 based materials more effective removal of methylene blue from water under sunlight, owing to the photocatalytic role of ZnO remained in carbonized product. This research paves the way to realize a variety of hollow CNCs/ZIFs hybrid materials for different application purposes.

Nanocellulose applications in sustainable electrochemical and piezoelectric systems: A review

Recent studies advocate the use of cellulose nanomaterials (CNs) as a sustainable carbohydrate polymer in numerous innovative electronics for their quintessential features such as flexibility, low thermal expansion and self-/directed assembly within multiphase matrices. Herein, we review the contemporary advances in CN-built electrochemical systems and highlight the constructive effects of these nanoscopic entities once engineered in conductive composites, proton exchange membranes (PEMs), electrochromics, energy storage devices and piezoelectric sensors. The adopted strategies and designs are discussed in view of CN roles as copolymer, electrolyte reservoir, binder and separator. Finally, physiochemical attributes and durability of resulting architectures are compared to conventional materials and the possible challenges/solutions are delineated to realize the promising capabilities. The volume of the up-to-present literature in the field indeed implies to nanocellulose overriding importance and the presented angles perhaps shed more lights on prospect of the biosphere's most dominant biomaterial in the energy-related arena that deserve attention.