In situ microscopy, X-ray scattering, and computational modeling for unraveling the synthesis and performance of nanocellulose based membranes in aqueous medium

Water treatment is one of the emerging applications for nanocellulose, driven by its high surface area, versatile surface chemistry and nanostructured morphology.

Nanocellulose in combination with metal organic frameworks (MOF), graphene oxide (GO), TiO2 nanowires etc. offers charge-specific adsorption, size exclusion, antifouling, antibacterial properties, photocatalytic properties,  magnetic properties and their combinations there off for advanced water treatment capabilities.

Unraveling the structure and performance of these hybrid membranes  in use conditions is  challenging, as characterization techniques in dry conditions provide insufficient (or  incorrect) insight into the chemical and physical mechanisms involved.

Therefore the current  project  aims to  develop and use in situ quantitative AFM, synchrotron based studies and  computational tools to explain how the surface chemistry and structure of nanocellulose and its hybrids dictate the membrane performance in operando.

Challenges related to experimental set up for imaging in aqueous medium, functionalisation of the AFM probe,  developing single molecular probe using live bacteria and  using quantitative AFM to map chemical, electrochemical and catalytic properties are expected to be addressed.

It can be argued that once validated, the developed methodologies and tools developed can also be extended to  in situ studies that  drive the devlopment of  a variety of materials and devices driven by surface charge .