Wrinkle-Template Confinement of Kinetically Arrested Cellulose Nanocrystals for Sustainable Large Scale Reflection Gratings

Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

  • Yue Dong - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Swagato Sarkar - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Andreas Fery - , Chair of Physical Chemistry of Polymeric Materials, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Christian Rossner - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (Author)

Abstract

Colors derived from reflection gratings are ubiquitous in nature, while artificial grating structures play an important role in various domains of optics. Motivated by creating an effective grating structure assembled only from simple materials available from renewable resources, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are investigated as the dielectric grating material, and the polarized plane-wave illumination is fully studied. By using wrinkled surfaces as template, all-cellulose line arrays are assembled by template-printing. The use of kinetically arrested CNC dispersions results in maintained shape during the pattern-formation process: gratings of various wavelength and with heights 10 times larger than the width of a single CNC are fabricated. Within the produced films, ordered CNC arrangements are obtained after confinement drying as demonstrated by polarized optical microscopy. These films demonstrate significant reflection grating properties with up to ±3 diffraction orders easily resolved from the grating with a diffraction efficiency of 9% for the first order. The cut-off ranges from visible region (508 nm) to the infrared region (1539 nm). Additional structures – with or without diffraction-grating properties – can be printed onto the structured thin films. This work showcases a scalable and cost-effective platform for realizing future developments in optical signal technologies with sustainable materials.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere01369
JournalAdvanced optical materials
Volume13
Issue number34
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 22 Aug 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • anti-counterfeiting, cellulose nanocrystals, gratings, surface patterning, wrinkle structure