Surface modification of cellulose fibers with layer-by-layer self-assembly of lignosulfonate and polyelectrolyte: effects on fibers wetting properties and paper strength

To convert the hydrophilic cellulose fiber into hydrophobic, multilayers composed of cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) and lignosulfonate (LS) were constructed on cellulose fiber surface using layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technique. The presence of CPAM/LS multilayers were validated by zeta potential, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that potential of fiber surface inversed after deposition of each layer, the contents of characteristic elements (i.e. S and N) of CPAM/LS multilayers increased with increasing bilayer number, furthermore, the calculated surface LS content increased linearly as a function of bilayers. AFM phase images indicated that the cellulose microfibrils on fiber surface were gradually covered by LS granules, resulting in an increase in fiber surface roughness as self-assembly proceeded. The wetting properties of modified cellulose fibers were detected by dynamic contact angle measurement. The results showed that the initial water contact angle gradually increased and the attenuation rate of the contact angle gradually decreased with the number of bilayers, suggesting that the controllable hydrophobicity of cellulose fiber can be achieved depending on the number of bilayers. It also showed that the polyelectrolyte presented in the outermost layer significantly influenced the wetting properties of cellulose fibers, and a higher hydrophobicity was observed when LS was in the outermost layer. Moreover, tensile strength test was performed on the handsheet prepared from LBL modified fibers to evaluate the effect of CPAM/LS multilayers on strength property of cellulose fiber networks. The tensile index of handsheet prepared from fibers modified with a (CPAM/LS)5 multilayer increased by 12.4% compared with that of handsheet prepared from original fibers. The print density of handsheet increased with the number of bilayers, suggesting that printability of the handsheet was improved by constructing CPAM/LS multilayers on cellulose fiber surface. This strategy will have a positive impact and potential application value in printing process control of cellulose fiber-based products.

[1]  M. Österberg,et al.  Lignin adsorption on cellulose fibre surfaces: Effect on surface chemistry, surface morphology and paper strength , 2001 .

[2]  Katsuhiko Ariga,et al.  Alternate Assembly of Ordered Multilayers of SiO2 and Other Nanoparticles and Polyions , 1997 .

[3]  L. Wågberg,et al.  Formation of polyelectrolyte multilayers on fibres: influence on wettability and fibre/fibre interaction. , 2006, Journal of colloid and interface science.

[4]  Per Stenius,et al.  Evaluation of surface lignin on cellulose fibers with XPS , 1999 .

[5]  Gero Decher,et al.  Buildup of ultrathin multilayer films by a self‐assembly process, 1 consecutive adsorption of anionic and cationic bipolar amphiphiles on charged surfaces , 1991 .

[6]  Yonghong Deng,et al.  Adsorption and desorption behaviors of lignosulfonate during the self-assembly of multilayers , 2010, BioResources.

[7]  Johannes Schmitt,et al.  Buildup of ultrathin multilayer films by a self-assembly process: III. Consecutively alternating adsorption of anionic and cationic polyelectrolytes on charged surfaces , 1992 .

[8]  J. Ralston,et al.  The colloidal behaviour of kraft lignin and lignosulfonates , 1986 .

[9]  Y. Lvov,et al.  Cellulose fiber-enzyme composites fabricated through layer-by-layer nanoassembly. , 2007, Biomacromolecules.

[10]  G. Decher,et al.  Buildup of Ultrathin Multilayer Films by a Self‐Assembly Process: II. Consecutive Adsorption of Anionic and Cationic Bipolar Amphiphiles and Polyelectrolytes on Charged Surfaces , 1991 .

[11]  Fei Wang,et al.  Aminated poly‐N‐vinylformamide as a modern retention aid of alkaline paper sizing with acid rosin sizes , 2000 .

[12]  H. Jung,et al.  Lignification of plant cell walls: impact of genetic manipulation. , 1998, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[13]  H. Zhan,et al.  Layer-by-layer assembly of lignosulfonates for hydrophilic surface modification. , 2009 .

[14]  Leonardo G. Paterno,et al.  Effect of pH on the preparation of self-assembled films of poly(o-ethoxyaniline) and sulfonated lignin , 2001 .

[15]  Jaewoong Lee,et al.  Properties and antimicrobial efficacy of cellulose fiber coated with silver nanoparticles and 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (3-MPTMS) , 2011 .

[16]  M. Österberg,et al.  The wetting properties and morphology of lignin adsorbed on cellulose fibres and mica , 2004 .

[17]  Martin A. Hubbe,et al.  PAPER’S RESISTANCE TO WETTING – A REVIEW OF INTERNAL SIZING CHEMICALS AND THEIR EFFECTS , 2007 .

[18]  John Foss,et al.  Springer Handbook of Experimental Fluid Mechanics , 2007 .

[19]  K. Stana-Kleinschek,et al.  Determination of the adsorption character of cellulose fibres using surface tension and surface charge , 2002 .

[20]  Y. Lvov,et al.  Layer-by-layer nanocoating of lignocellulose fibers for enhanced paper properties. , 2006, Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

[21]  J. Seppälä,et al.  Modification of surface wettability through adsorption of partly fluorinated statistical and block polyelectrolytes from aqueous medium. , 2010, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[22]  Xiaoyuan Li,et al.  Polyelectrolyte multilayer as matrix for electrochemical deposition of gold clusters: toward super-hydrophobic surface. , 2004, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[23]  Multicomposites Gero Decher.  Fuzzy Nanoassemblies: Toward Layered Polymeric , 1997 .

[24]  W. Geng,et al.  Layer-by-layer deposition of polyelectrolyte-polyelectrolyte complexes for multilayer film fabrication. , 2009, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[25]  B. Saake,et al.  Isolation and fractionation of lignosulfonates by amine extraction and ultrafiltration: A comparative study , 2005 .

[26]  H. Zhan,et al.  Surface hydrophobicity modification of cellulose fibers by layer-by-layer self-assembly of lignosulfonates , 2011, BioResources.

[27]  Melvin P. Tucker,et al.  Dilute acid hydrolysis of softwoods , 1999 .

[28]  Scott Renneckar,et al.  Nanocomposite-based lignocellulosic fibers 2: Layer-by-layer modification of wood fibers for reinforcement in thermoplastic composites , 2011 .

[29]  T. Lindström,et al.  Alkyl Ketene Dimer (AKD) sizing – a review , 2008 .

[30]  Scott Renneckar,et al.  Nanocomposite-based lignocellulosic fibers 1. Thermal stability of modified fibers with clay-polyelectrolyte multilayers , 2008 .

[31]  H. Zhan,et al.  Visualization of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose using AFM phase imaging , 2009 .

[32]  N. Özmen,et al.  Use of organosolv lignin in phenol–formaldehyde resins for particleboard production: I. Organosolv lignin modified resins , 2002 .

[33]  Wolfgang G. Glasser,et al.  Recent Industrial Applications of Lignin: A Sustainable Alternative to Nonrenewable Materials , 2002 .

[34]  J. Salvadó,et al.  Structural characterization of technical lignins for the production of adhesives: Application to lignosulfonate, kraft, soda-anthraquinone, organosolv and ethanol process lignins , 2006 .

[35]  S. Dong,et al.  Biopolymer and carbon nanotubes interface prepared by self-assembly for studying the electrochemistry of microperoxidase-11. , 2005, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[36]  L. Wågberg,et al.  Application of polymeric multilayers of starch onto wood fibres to enhance strength properties of paper , 2005 .

[37]  Junhui He,et al.  Facile In Situ Synthesis of Noble Metal Nanoparticles in Porous Cellulose Fibers , 2003 .

[38]  H. Brumer,et al.  Grafting of Cellulose Fibers with Poly(E-caprolactone) and Poly(L-lactic acid) via Ring-Opening Polymerization , 2006 .

[39]  T. Wegner,et al.  Mechanisms by which white water system contaminants affect the strength of paper produced from secondary fiber , 1986 .

[40]  Gero Decher,et al.  Polyelectrolytes I: Polyanion/Polycation Multilayers at the Air/Monolayer/Water Interface as Elements for Quantitative Polymer Adsorption Studies and Preparation of Hetero-superlattices on Solid Surfaces† , 2000 .

[41]  A. Hüttermann,et al.  Chemoenzymatical grafting of acrylamide onto lignin. , 2000, Journal of biotechnology.

[42]  R. García-Valls,et al.  Morphological, chemical surface and electrical characterizations of lignosulfonate-modified membranes , 2007 .

[43]  A. Carlmark,et al.  ARGET ATRP for versatile grafting of cellulose using various monomers. , 2009, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[44]  Zonghuan Lu,et al.  Layer-by-layer nanoparticle coatings on lignocellulose wood microfibers , 2007 .

[45]  L. Wågberg,et al.  Wettability changes in the formation of polymeric multilayers on cellulose fibres and their influence on wet adhesion. , 2007, Journal of colloid and interface science.

[46]  L. Wågberg,et al.  Preparation of electrically conducting cellulose fibres utilizing polyelectrolyte multilayers of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulphonate) and poly(allyl amine) , 2007 .

[47]  C. Ho,et al.  Investigation of surface energy for organic light emitting polymers and indium tin oxide , 2000 .

[48]  D. Stewart.  Lignin as a base material for materials applications: Chemistry, application and economics , 2008 .

[49]  Marc J. Assael,et al.  Material Properties: Measurement and Data , 2007 .

[50]  Benjamin Thierry,et al.  Bioactive coatings of endovascular stents based on polyelectrolyte multilayers. , 2003, Biomacromolecules.

[51]  Hongming Lou,et al.  Properties of Different Molecular Weight Sodium Lignosulfonate Fractions as Dispersant of Coal‐Water Slurry , 2006 .

[52]  N. Kotov,et al.  Conductive paper from lignocellulose wood microfibers coated with a nanocomposite of carbon nanotubes and conductive polymers , 2009, Nanotechnology.