Structurally Anisotropic Functional Nanocomposite Thin Films from Cellulose Nanocrystals and Gold Nanoparticles

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Andreas Fery; Dr. Christian Rossner
• Subject Area: Polymer Materials
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 556590570

Because of their accessibility from renewable resources, processability and their propensity of forming ordered nanostructured materials with tunable optical properties, such as Bragg stacks and chiral nematic phases, cellulose nanocrystals are useful building blocks for creating flexible thin films. Key to adjust their properties is exerting control over their internal arrangement structure and the targeted functionalization with additional functional entities. This project aims to achieve an improved understanding of the formation of cellulose/gold nanocomposites, in which functionality emerges from the alignment of the building blocks, enabled by surface-patterned soft templates. The formation of two types of materials is explored: parallel aligned cellulose nanocrystal thin films with deposited gold nanoparticles serving as conductive lines; and aligned nanocomposite materials with embedded gold nanoparticles as chiroplasmonic bulk materials. (Vapor and mechanical stress) sensing and anti-counterfeiting serve as model scenarios to demonstrate the applicability of the studied nanocomposite thin films.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants