Cellulose nanofibrils modified with noble metal nanoparticles

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) are of interest for numerous applications because of their unique properties such as high aspect ratio, high surface area and ability to form strong network structures. In order for CNF to be used in high-end applications and as building blocks for new functional materials it has to be modified to adjust or develop the desired properties. The use of noble metal nanoparticles e.g. Au, Pt, has been a topic of interest in many scientific areas such as photography, catalysis, biological labeling, photonics, optoelectronics, information storage and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In this communication, methods based on electrostatic interactions and click chemistry for immobilizing noble metal nanoparticles onto the CNF surface are described. XPS, AFM and TEM were used to characterize the main chemical and morphological features of the produced metal decorated CNF substrates. Main results and possible applications for such materials will be discussed.