Chemically cross-linked, wet-stable cellulose nanofibril (CNF) aerogel beads were fabricated using a novel procedure. The procedure facilitated controlled production of millimetre-sized CNF aerogel beads without freeze-drying or critical point drying, while still retaining a highly porous structure with low density. The aerogel beads were mechanically robust in the dry state, supporting loads of 1.3 N at 70% compression, even after being soaked in water and re-dried. Furthermore, they displayed both a good stability in water and a remarkably good shape recovery after wet compression. Owing to the stability in water, the entire surface of the highly porous aerogel beads could be successfully functionalized with polyelectrolytes and carboxyl-functionalized single-wall carbon nanotubes (CF-SWCNTs) using the Layer-by-Layer technique, introducing a significant electrical conductivity (1.6 mS/cm) to the aerogel beads. The functionalized, electrically conducting aerogel beads could carry as much as 2 kA/cm(2) and act as electrodes in a supercapacitor displaying a stabilized charge storage capacity of 9.8 F/g after 50 charging-discharging cycles.

The underlying mechanism related to freezing-induced crosslinking of aldehyde-containing cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) has been investigated, and the critical parameters behind this process have been identified. The aldehydes introduced by periodate oxidation allows for formation of hemiacetal bonds between the CNFs provided the fibrils are in sufficiently close contact before the water is removed. This is achieved during the freezing process where the cellulose components are initially separated, and the growth of ice crystals forces the CNFs to come into contact in the thin lamellae between the ice crystals. The crosslinked 3-D structure of the CNFs can subsequently be dried under ambient conditions after solvent exchange and still maintain a remarkably low density of 35 kg m-3, i.e. a porosity greater than 98%. A lower critical amount of aldehydes, 0.6 mmol g-1, was found necessary in order to generate a crosslinked 3-D CNF structure of sufficient strength not to collapse during the ambient drying. The chemical stability of the 3-D structure can be further enhanced by converting the hemiacetals to acetals by treatment with an alcohol under acidic conditions.

Chemically cross-linked highly porous nano cellulose aerogels with complex shapes have been prepared using a freeze-linking procedure that avoids common post activation of cross-linking reactions and freeze-drying. The aerogel shapes ranged from simple geometrical three-dimensional bodies to swirls and solenoids. This was achieved by molding or extruding a periodate oxidized cellulose nanofibril (CNF) dispersion prior to chemical cross-linking in a regular freezer or by reshaping an already prepared aerogel by plasticizing the structure in water followed by reshaping and locking the aerogel into its new shape. The new shapes were most likely retained by new cross-links formed between CNFs brought into contact by the deformation during reshaping. This self-healing ability to form new bonds after plasticization and redrying also contributed to the mechanical resilience of the aerogels, allowing them to be cyclically deformed in the dry state, reswollen with water, and redried with good retention of mechanical integrity. Furthermore, by exploiting the shapeability and available inner structure of the aerogels, a solenoid-shaped aerogel with all surfaces coated with a thin film of conducting polypyrrole was able to produce a magnetic field inside the solenoid, demonstrating electromagnetic properties. Furthermore, by biomimicking the porous interior and stiff exterior of the beak of a toucan bird, a functionalized aerogel was created by applying a 300 mu m thick stiff wax coating on its molded external surfaces. This composite material displayed a 10-times higher elastic modulus compared to that of the plain aerogel without drastically increasing the density. These examples show that it is possible to combine advanced shaping with functionalization of both the inner structure and the surface of the aerogels, radically extending the possible use of CNF aerogels.

Highly porous materials with low density were developed from chemically modified cellulose fibers using solvent-exchange and air drying. Periodate oxidation was initially performed to introduce aldehydes into the cellulose chain, which were then further oxidized to carboxyl groups by chlorite oxidation. Low-density materials were finally achieved by a second periodate oxidation under which the fibers self-assembled into porous fibrous networks. Following a solvent exchange to acetone, these networks could be air-dried without shrinkage. The properties of the materials were tuned by mechanical mixing with a high intensity mixer for different times prior to the second periodate oxidation, which resulted in porosities between 94.4% and 96.3% (i.e., densities between 54 and 82 kg/m(3)). The compressive strength of the materials was between 400 and 1600 kPa in the dry state and between 20 and 50 kPa in the wet state. It was also observed that in the wet state the fiber networks could be compressed up to 80% while still being able to recover their shape. These networks are highly interesting for use in different types of absorption products, and since they also have a high wet integrity, they can be modified with physical methods for different high-value-added end-use applications.