Smart microfibrillated cellulose as swab sponge-like aerogel for real-time colorimetric naked-eye sweat monitoring.

Collecting sweat sample for onsite testing is a sophisticated process as the analysis process must be completed in a real-time with a highly absorptive and sensitive device in order to gain a useful assessment of its content. Thus, we developed a chemical probe incorporated into microfibrillated cellulose to introduce a novel, simple, robust and flexible aerogel. This chromogenic sponge-like aerogel assay demonstrated a color change from yellow to orange, red and blue depending on the sweat biochemical changes. Novel pH sensitive tricyanofuran hydrazone probe was prepared, characterized and encapsulated in-situ within microfibrillated cellulose to follow up sweat pH changes. The solvatochromic performance in several solvents of different polarities and the reversible pH correlated color change of this tricyanofuran hydrazone probe in an acetonitrile solution was explored by UV-Vis absorption spectra. The microporous and microfibrillated sponge-like cellulose substrate was fabricated by activation of wood pulp using phosphoric acid followed by freeze-drying process. Morphological characterization, thermal stability and fiber crystallinity of the prepared aerogel were explored using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The visual color change was explored by studying the CIE LAB color space coordinates and color strength values. The cytotoxicity of the sponge-like aerogel sensor was also evaluated.

Development of biodegradable semiconducting foam based on micro-fibrillated cellulose/Cu-NPs.

In this work regenerated cellulose was prepared by phosphoric acid as a primarily step in preparation of biodegradable foam. Copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) were embedded onto the cellulosic suspensions followed by freeze drying process. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of individual chunky regenerated cellulose fibers in the dimensions of micro that enhanced tendency to aggregate during drying. X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrated that, the treatment of cellulose with concentrated phosphoric acid led to defibrated cellulose with lower crystallinity index than original cellulose fibers. The study provided insights about the influence of the Cu-NPs on the structure, thermal stability and the electrical contributions of the considered cellulose-based foam. The electrical and dielectric properties were studied by means of the broadband dielectric spectroscopy. The dielectric spectra were dominated by an anomalous behavior of the permittivity as illustrated versus frequency of the investigated samples. The real part of conductivity follows the universal power law at higher frequencies. The foam loaded Cu-NPs exhibit biodegradability and highly efficient antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans.

Development of microporous cellulose-based smart xerogel reversible sensor via freeze drying for naked-eye detection of ammonia gas.

Microporous cellulose xerogel can be defined as low density biomaterial that can be employed for a variety of promising applications of different fields. The characteristics of xerogel are a consequence of their microstructure. An easy-to-use and reversible solid-state colorimetric sensor for ammonia gas was developed by embedding a bromocresol purple (BCP) pH-sensory chromophore into the environmental friendly carboxymethyl cellulose as bio-based polymer (CMC) matrix. The bromocresol purple was immobilized into cross-linked carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-BCP) xerogel followed by freeze-drying to introduce a microporous network of regenerated cellulose host in which bromocresol purple chromophore was immobilized to function as a spectroscopic probe guest. Identification of ammonia gas occurred via proton shift from the hydroxyl group of the BCP dye to ammonia nitrogen. Both qualitative and quantitative activities were determined. The architectures of the prepared cellulose xerogel at different degree of substitutions (DS) was investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scan electron microscopy (SEM), which displayed a high porosity and pores diameter in the range of 10-50 µm. The resultant CMC-BCP displayed high sensitivity for gaseous ammonia. Moreover, excellent reversibility and short detection time were also monitored. The vapochromic xerogel provided an instant color alteration signal from yellow to purple when exposed to ammonia gas or an ammonium hydroxide aqueous environment as monitored by the absorption maxima, color coordinates and color strength. The visual color change of CMC-BCP xerogel was observed to alter in the order from yellow, orange, red to purple in proportional with raising the ammonia concentration in an aqueous environment. Moreover, the CMC-BCP xerogel displayed rapid response time, concentration detection limit as low as 9.0 × 10-2 ppb for ammonia in aqueous media, and very good reversibility.

Photoluminescent spray-coated paper sheet: Write-in-the-dark.

A simple formulation of an organic-inorganic composite for spray-coating was adopted toward photoluminescent paper sheets. The coating composite layer was composed of a synthetic organic adhesive binder mixed with an inorganic lanthanide-doped strontium aluminate pigment. Such pigment-binder formula was applied effectively onto paper sheets via spray-coating followed by thermal fixation. The applied transparent photoluminescent coated layer exhibited optimal excitation wavelength at 365 nm and emission band at 517 nm resulting in phosphorescence of the paper surface with a substantial development of green-yellow, bright white, turquoise, and off-white colors as indicated by CIE Lab color coordinates under ultraviolet irradiation. The mechanical, decay and lifetime properties of the composite photoluminescent coated layer were described. The standard techniques of morphological properties and elemental analysis were explored by scanning electron microscope (SEM), wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopic analysis (EDX). The spray-coated paper sheets demonstrated good fastness to light and reversible phosphorescence without fatigue.

Antimicrobial cellulosic hydrogel from olive oil industrial residue.

The cellulose-based antimicrobial hydrogel was prepared from seed and husk cellulosic fibers of olive industry residues by load silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto grafted acrylamide monomer (Am) cellulosic fibers. The grafting approach was the free radical mechanism by utilizing ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) as initiator in aqueous medium and N,N methylene bisacrylamide (MBAm) as a cross linker. The effect of different grafting conditions on the properties of produced hydrogels has been studied by determining the grafting parameters, i.e. concentration of Am, MBAm, grafting time and temperature to optimize grafting yield (G %), grafting efficiency (GE %), and swelling %. Characterizations of the obtained hydrogels were performed through monitoring swelling behavior, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and EDX. AgNPs were grown into the prepared hydrogel. Hydrogel/AgNPs were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The hydrogel loaded AgNPs exhibit high efficient antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans.

Novel cellulose-based halochromic test strips for naked-eye detection of alkaline vapors and analytes.

A simple, portable and highly sensitive naked-eye test strip is successfully prepared for optical detection of gaseous and aqueous alkaline analytes. Novel pH-sensory tricyanofuran-hydrazone (TCFH) disperse colorant containing a hydrazone recognition functional moiety is successfully synthesized via azo-coupling reaction between active methyl-containing tricyanofuran (TCF) heterocycle and diazonium salt of 4-aminobenzaldehyde followed by Knoevenagel condensation with malononitrile. UV-vis absorption spectra display solvatochromism and reversible color changes of the TCFH solution in dimethyl sulfoxide in response to pH variations. We investigate the preparation of hydrophobic cellulose/polyethylene terephthalate composites characterized by their high affinity for disperse dyes. Composite films made from CA, Cell/CA, PET/CA, and Cell/PET-CA are produced via solvent-casting procedure using 10-30% modified cellulose or modified polyethylene terephthalate. The mechanical properties and morphologies of these composite films are investigated. The prepared pH-sensory hydrazone-based disperse dye is then applied to dye the produced cellulose-based composite films employing the high temperature pressure dyeing procedure. The produced halochromic PET-CA-TCFH test strip provide an instant visible signal from orange to purple upon exposure to alkaline conditions as proved by the coloration measurements. The sensor strip exhibits high sensitivity and quick detection toward ammonia in both of aqueous and vapor phases by naked-eye observations at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.

Mechanical and antibacterial properties of novel high performance chitosan/nanocomposite films.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle was successfully synthesized using hydrothermal method as well as, silver (Ag) nanoparticle was direct prepared during chitosan nanocomposites preparation. Chitosan films were investigated by recognized the effect of kinds of acids (formic or acetic acid). Correspondingly, using of concentrated NaOH was checking for facilitating de-casting of the films. Utilization of formic acid arisen higher quality films than those films produced using acetic acid as solvent. Optimization was based on the mechanical properties for both types of acids solvent. Furthermore, the elasticity of the prepared films was enhanced by blending hydroxyl ethylcellulose (HEC) with chitosan. Loading the films by silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles (Ag-NPs and ZnO) was achieved during the preparation of films under the optimum conditions. Characterizations of the prepared ZnO nanoparticles and the prepared nanocomposites films were investigated by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM and EDAX. Chitosan nanocomposite films displayed good Antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhamrium, Bacillus cereus, and Listeria monocyte. Therefore, these films can be used for packaging applications.