Cellulose self-assembly behavior

Han, J., Zhou, C., Wu, Y., Liu, F., Wu, Q. (2013). Self-assembling behavior of cellulose nanoparticles during freeze-drying Effect of suspension concentration, particle size, crystal structure, and surface charge. (5), 1529-1540. 

The objectives of the current study therefore dealt with erq>loring (a) the relationship between molecular parameters (block size and substituent type) and self-assembly behavior in F-containing cellulose esters (Le., copolysaccharides), and (b) the self-assembly at solid surfaces (i.e., the docldng behavior) of anq>hiphilic xylan molecules (i.e., heteropolysaccharides) at well-defined cellulose surfaces. 

Several water-soluble, xykn-rich hetero-polysaccharides and their derivatives were measured in this way widi respect to dieir self-assembly behavior at cellulosic LB film surfaces (i.e., dockiiig behavior). The correqionding eiqierimental results ate sununarized in Figure 6. The structure of the xylan derivatives used is given in Figure 2. 

Cellulose and some derivatives form liquid crystals (LC) and represent excellent materials for basic studies of this subject. A variety of different structures are formed, thermotropic and lyotropic LC phases, which exhibit some unusual behavior. Since chirality expresses itself on the configuration level of molecules as well as on the conformation level of helical structures of chain molecules, both elements will influence the twisting of the self-assembled supermolecular helicoidal structure formed in a mesophase. These supermolecular structures of chiral materials exhibit special optical properties as iridescent colors, and... 

Yan Q, Yuan JY, Zhang FB, Sui XF, Xie XM, Yin YW, Wang SF, Wei Y (2009) Cellulose-based dual graft molecular brushes as potential drug nanocarriers stimulus-responsive micelles, self-assembled phase transition behavior, and tunable crystalline morphologies. Biomacromolecules 10 2033-2042... 

Wang DQ, Tan JJ, Kang HL, Ma L, Jin X, Liu RG, Huang Y (2011) Synthesis, self-assembly and drug release behaviors of pH-responsive copolymers ethyl cellulose-gra/l-PDEAEMA through ATRP. Carbohydr Polym 84 195-202... 

Sensitivity, reversibility, accuracy, and self-assembly of such polymers are the keys to constructing intelligent stimuli-responsive systems and would be affected by the polymer primary structures. However, systematic investigations of the relationships between polymer structures and stimuli-responsive behavior were limited until several years ago, as the living polymerizations of related monomers involved in these syntheses were difficult to carry out. For example, the structure and molecular weight of polymers could not be freely controlled either for the conventionally investigated thermoresponsive polymers such as cellulose derivatives [8], poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) derivatives [9], poly(methyl vinyl ether) [10], partly hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate) [11], and poly(M-alkylacrylamide)s [12,13], or for poly(J -isopropylacrylamide) (PNI-PAM), on which there have been advanced studies [14-18]. 

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