Properties and Behavior of CNCs

The properties of CNCs may be directly varied depending on source and extraction methods. These basic properties can be considered in two ways (1) Inherent properties and (2) suspension behavior [101]. 

Heux et al. were the first to describe the self-organization phenomenon of CNCs in aprotic solvents. Initially, surfactant coating was used for dispersion of CNCs and obtained a chiral nematic structure with pitch value of approximately 4 pm, whereas in the case of aqueous suspensions it is between 20 and 80 pm. In addition, higher concentration (up to 36%) could be achieved due to steric stabilization exerted by surfactant coating [ 114]. A detailed study of the structure of this phase (chiral nematic) has been reported by the same group [115,116]. 

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