Interactions of a cationic cellulose derivative with an ultrathin cellulose support

The adsorption behavior of cellulose-4-[N-methylammonium]butyrate chloride (CMABC) on two hydrophilic substrates is studied, namely nanometric cellulose model thin films and silicon dioxide substrates. The adsorption is quantified in dependence of electrolyte concentration and pH value using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). In case of CMABC, at high ionic strengths (25–100 mM NaCl) high adsorption is observed at pH 7 (Δf3: −15 to −17 Hz) while at lower ionic strengths (1–10 mM) less CMABC (Δf3: −2 to −12 Hz) is deposited on the cellulose surfaces as indicated by the frequency changes using QCM-D. A change in pH value from 7 to 8 reveals an increase in adsorption. Atomic force microscopy shows that the coating of cellulose thin films with CMABC changes the morphology from a fibrillar to a particle like structure on the surface. The surface wettability with water increases with an increasing amount of CMABC on the surface compared to neat cellulose model films. At lower pH values (3 and 5), CMABC does not adsorb onto the cellulose model thin films. XPS is used to validate the results and to determine the nitrogen content of the surfaces. In addition, adsorption of CMABC onto another hydrophilic and negatively charged substrate, silicon dioxide coated quartz crystals, cannot be detected at different pH values and electrolyte concentrations as proven by QCM-D.