Materials, Chemicals, and Energy from Forest Biomass

authors	Sequeira S, Evtuguin DV
chapter title	Cellulose-Silica Hybrid Materials Obtained by Heteropolyacid Catalyzed Sol-Gel Synthesis
nationality	International
abstract	Organic-inorganic hybrids based on cellulose fibers from Eucalyptus globulus kraft pulp were prepared at room temperature by a sol-gel method using TEOS as the silica precursor and H3PW12O40 as the catalyst. These cellulose/silica hybrids (CSHs) were chemically and structurally characterized. The absence of unconverted TEOS and the formation of a silica network composed essentially by Q3 and Q4 structures were confirmed by FTIR, solid-state 13C and 29Si NMR. Image analysis (SEM and AFM) revealed that the silica had deposited on the fibers essentially in the form of a thin film or mesoparticles, which bridged the fibers. The silica network improved hydrophobicity, dimensional and thermal stability and bending strength of the starting fibrous material. The potential applications of these CSHs are discussed.
publisher	American Chemical Society
isbn	9780841239814
year published	2007
beginning page	121
ending page	136
book digital object identifier (doi)	10.1021/bk-2007-0954.ch008