Author(s)

Jérémy Astruc¹, Patrice Cousin¹, Gaétan Laroche^2,3, Mathieu Robert¹, Saïd Elkoun^1*

¹Center of Innovative Technology and Eco-Design (CITE), University of Sherbrooke, Granby, QC, Canada.
²Laboratoire d’Ingénierie de Surface, Département de Génie des Mines, de la Métallurgie et des Matériaux Centre de recherche sur les Matériaux avancés, Pavillon Adrien-Pouliot, University of Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
³Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Hopital Saint-Francois d’Assise, Québec, QC, Canada.

This work aimed at investigating the feasibility of surface modification of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) using in situ ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) at room temperature. Residues of flax and milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) stem fibers were used as a source of cellulose to obtain and isolate CNCs. The cationic ring opening polymerization (CROP) of the monomer ε-CL was used to covalently graft polycaprolactone (PCL) chains at the CNCs surface. Silver hexafluoroantimonate (AgSbF₆) was used in combination with the extracted CNCs to initiate, at room temperature, the polymerization and the grafting reactions with no other stimulus. Fourier-Transform InfraRed (FTIR), X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometry (XPS), UV/visible absorption and Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) analyses evidenced the presence of PCL chains covalently grafted at CNCs surface, the formation of Ag(0) particles as well as low or moderate molecular weight free PCL chains.

Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs), Simultaneous Polymerization and Surface Grafting, ε-Caprolactone, Cationic Ring Opening Polymerization, Room Temperature, Silver Hexafluoroantimonate

Astruc, J. , Cousin, P. , Laroche, G. , Robert, M. and Elkoun, S. (2020) Polycaprolactone (PCL) Chains Grafting on the Surface of Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) during In Situ Polymerization of ε-Caprolactone at Room Temperature. Materials Sciences and Applications, 11, 744-756. doi: 10.4236/msa.2020.1111050.