Sustainable Surface Engineering of Lignocellulose and Cellulose by Synergistic Combination of Metal‐Free Catalysis and Polyelectrolyte Complexes

• A sustainable strategy for synergistic surface engineering of lignocellulose and cellulose fibers derived from wood by synergistic combination of metal‐free catalysis and renewable polyelectrolyte (PE) complexes is disclosed. The strategy allows for improvement and introduction of important properties such as strength, water resistance, and fluorescence to the renewable fibers and cellulosic materials. For example, the “green” surface engineering significantly increases the strength properties (up to 100% in Z‐strength) of chemi‐thermomechanical pulp (CTMP) and bleached sulphite pulp (BSP)‐derived sheets. Next, performing an organocatalytic silylation with a nontoxic organic acid makes the corresponding lignocellulose and cellulose sheets hydrophobic. A selective color modification of polysaccharides is developed by combining metal‐free catalysis and thiol‐ene click chemistry. Next, fluorescent PE complexes based on cationic starch (CS) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) are prepared and used for modification of CTMP or BSP in the presence of a metal‐free catalyst. Laser‐scanning confocal microscopy reveals that the PE‐strength additive is evenly distributed on the CTMP and heterogeneously on the BSP. The fluorescent CS distribution on the CTMP follows the lignin distribution of the lignocellulosic fibers.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Materialkemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Materials Chemistry (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Organisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Organic Chemistry (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Pappers-, massa- och fiberteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Paper, Pulp and Fiber Technology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

click chemistry

lignocellulose

metal‐free catalysis

selective fluorescent labeling

sustainable polyelectrolyte complex

synergistic surface engineering

water repellent

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)