Honors College Senior Thesis Presentations
Dual Ionic Liquid-Functionalized Cellulosic Materials: Thermal, Mechanical and Conductive Properties
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Biochemistry
Minor
Biology
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Kevin M. Miller, PhD
Presentation Format
Event
Abstract/Description
Cellulose, an inexpensive and renewable biomacromolecule, represents an intriguing synthetic foundation for new materials with task-specific properties. Here, we wish to report a synthetic route for functionalizing cellulose with a side chain containing two ionic liquid functional groups using azide-alkyne ‘click’ cyclization strategy, followed by quaternization of the two resulting heterocycles (1,2,3-triazole and imidazole). Through this functionalization strategy, the resulting cellulosic materials exhibited significant softening, with several glass transition (Tg) values observed below room temperature, indicating the amorphous nature of the materials, with the Tg dependent on both the length of the side chain and the counteranion used. Stress and strain at break of the materials were found by dynamic mechanical analysis to generally be in excess of 2 MPa and 250 %, respectively, indicating not only a high degree of mechanical robustness, but also elasticity. Enhancements in conductivity as high as 6-orders of magnitude were found when compared to native cellulose. In the end, cellulose can be utilized as a sustainable, foundational biopolymer in the preparation of new conductive materials.
Spring Scholars Week 2023 Event
Honors College Senior Thesis Presentations
Dual Ionic Liquid-Functionalized Cellulosic Materials: Thermal, Mechanical and Conductive Properties
Cellulose, an inexpensive and renewable biomacromolecule, represents an intriguing synthetic foundation for new materials with task-specific properties. Here, we wish to report a synthetic route for functionalizing cellulose with a side chain containing two ionic liquid functional groups using azide-alkyne ‘click’ cyclization strategy, followed by quaternization of the two resulting heterocycles (1,2,3-triazole and imidazole). Through this functionalization strategy, the resulting cellulosic materials exhibited significant softening, with several glass transition (Tg) values observed below room temperature, indicating the amorphous nature of the materials, with the Tg dependent on both the length of the side chain and the counteranion used. Stress and strain at break of the materials were found by dynamic mechanical analysis to generally be in excess of 2 MPa and 250 %, respectively, indicating not only a high degree of mechanical robustness, but also elasticity. Enhancements in conductivity as high as 6-orders of magnitude were found when compared to native cellulose. In the end, cellulose can be utilized as a sustainable, foundational biopolymer in the preparation of new conductive materials.