Au cours de ce travail de thèse, la Cellulose Nanofibrillée (CNF) a été isolée à partir de fibres de paille d’avoine puis modifiée chimiquement par des alcoxysilanes en milieu aqueux. La CNF silylée a ensuite été utilisée pour élaborer de nouveaux matériaux composites et mousses biosourcés.Le chapitre I présente quelques aspects généraux concernant les nanocelluloses, en particulier la NFC et ses applications dans le domaine des matériaux composites et des mousses.Le chapitre II est consacré à la fonctionnalisation de la CNF par le méthyltriméthoxysilane - choisi comme alcoxysilane modèle - ainsi qu’à la caractérisation du matériau silylé. Plusieurs paramètres réactionnels (pH, temps de réaction, concentration initiale en silane) ont été étudiés et optimisés, à partir de deux protocoles expérimentaux distincts. Les modifications ont été caractérisées à l’échelle moléculaire par différentes techniques physico-chimiques. Les propriétés des nanofibrilles silylées, comme la morphologie, cristallinité, mouillabilité, hygro-copicité et stabilité thermique, ont ensuite été évaluées.Dans le chapitre III, l’impact de la silylation sur les propriétés mécaniques et hygroscopiques de composites à matrice acide poly(lactique) ou matrice polydiméthylsiloxane chargés en NFC a été évalué.Pour finir, l’impact de la silylation sur les propriétés de mousses élaborées à partir de NFC lyophilisées a été étudié dans le chapitre IV (porosité, propriétés en compression, conductivité thermique, mouillabilité, hygroscopicité et oléophilicité). / In this thesis, nanofibrillated cellulse (NFC) has been isolated from oat straw and chemically modified by alkoxysilanes in water medium. Silylated NFC has been subsequently used to elaborate novel biobased composite materials and foamsChapter I presents some general aspects about nanocelluloses – in particular Nanofibrillated Cellulose (NFC) - and their use in composite materials and foams.Chapter II is dedicated to the functionalization of NFC by methyltrimethoxysilane - chosen as a model silane - and to the comprehensive examination of the silylated material. Reaction conditions such as pH, reaction time and initial silane concentration have been particularly in-vestigated and optimized using two distinct experimental protocols. The modifications have been characterized at the molecular level by various physicochemical techniques. The proper-ties of the silylated nanofibrils i.e. the morphology, crystallinity, wettability, hygroscopicity and thermal stability, have been subsequently examined. Chapter III investigates the impact of silylation on the mechanical and hygroscopic properties of NFC-reinforced composites prepared with two distinct polymeric matrices: poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).Chapter IV examines the impact of silylation on the properties of NFC-foams prepared by freeze drying, in particular on the porosity, compressive properties, thermal conductivity, wet-tability, hygroscopicity and oleophilicity.

Ce projet vise à développer un nouveau procédé de fabrication de nanofibrilles de cellulose (NFC) à fort taux de matière sèche et en consommant peu d’énergie. L’extrusion bi-vis, technique industrielle, efficace énergétiquement et facilement adaptable fut ainsi utilisée pour produire des NFC à 20%. En diminuant considérablement la teneur en eau, cette nouvelle stratégie permet de diminuer le coût du transport, d’améliorer le stockage et d’élargir leur domaine d’application. Ce travail a consisté (i) à développer de nouveaux prétraitements chimiques des fibres de celluloses, respectueux de l’environnement pour faciliter la fibrillation de la cellulose et produire des NFC fonctionnelles de qualité, (ii) à optimiser les conditions d’extrusion ainsi que le profil de vis et (iii) à préparer des matériaux à partir de cette nouvelle matière. Quatre prétraitements chimiques ont été identifiés comme facilement industrialisables et ensuite optimisés. La nanofibrillation par extrusion a été ensuite simulée par un logiciel pour obtenir des conditions d’extrusion optimisées. La production de NFC de qualité à l’échelle semi-industrielle a été validée. Différentes applications ont été envisagées pour ces nouvelles NFC à fort taux de matière sèche. / This project aims at developing a new process to produce high solid content cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) decreasing the energy consumption and preserving the high quality compared to classic processes. Twin screw extrusion (TSE), industrially well-known, energy efficient and highly adaptable technique, was optimized to produce CNF at 20 wt% solid content. By decreasing considerably the water content, this new strategy improves the transport cost, the storage and widening the field of application and formulation. The objectives were to (i) develop new green pretreatments of cellulose fibers to facilitate the fibrillation and produce high quality functionalized CNF, (ii) optimize TSE screw profile and conditions to produce CNF and (iii) prepare new materials made of this new type of CNF. Four chemical pretreatments of cellulose fibers have been identified as industrially feasible, leading to high quality functionalized CNF and were widely studied and optimized. The nanofibrillation by TSE was simulated using a simulation software and TSE conditions were then successfully optimized. This cost-effective approach was validated at semi-industrial scale. Finally, different new applications with this new grade of CNF were considered.

As nonoceluloses são partículas com pelo menos uma dimensão menor que 100 nm. A produção delas a partir de materiais lignocelulósicos tem obtido grande destaque nos últimos anos. A celulose nanocristalina (CNC) é tradicionalmente produzida através da hidrólise ácida, utilizando alta concentração de ácido, grande volume de água e com baixo rendimento. A celulose nanofibrilada (CNF) é produzida pela desfibrilação mecânica de polpas celulósicas com alto consumo de energia. Por outro lado, embora a produção industrial de etanol 2G já tenha começado, com as primeiras plantas de produção em escala espalhadas pelo mundo, a hidrólise enzimática completa da celulose para este fim não é economicamente viável e gera um resíduo rico em celulose e altamente recalcitrante, que poderia ser utilizado para produzir nanoceluloses, que tem alto valor agregado. Neste contexto, este estudo investigou a viabilidade técnica da produção das nanoceluloses (CNC e CNF) integradas ao processo de produção de açúcares fermentescíveis para a produção de etanol 2G a partir do bagaço de cana-de-açúcar. Incialmente, em uma planta piloto de produção de etanol 2G, o bagaço foi pré-tratado por explosão a vapor, que gerou a celulignina que foi deslignificada com NaOH. A polpa celulósica gerada foi tratada com peróxido de hidrogênio em meio alcalino para realizar a remoção da lignina residual. Os materiais gerados pelo pré-tratamento e pelo processo de polpação em meio alcalino foram caracterizados quando sua composição química e hidrolisados com diferentes cargas de enzimas. Os resultados mostraram a eficiência dos pré-tratamentos aplicados ao bagaço de cana-de-açúcar causando o enriquecimento em celulose e a diminuição do teor lignina e de hemiceluloses, acarretando um maior acesso das enzimas a celulose. O estudo do efeito das cargas enzimáticas, do aumento da carga de sólidos e do sistema de agitação, resultou em conversões de celulose em torno de 80%, atingindo concentrações acima de 120 g/L. Utilizando o resíduo de hidrólise da polpa celulósica, foram obtidas as nanoceluloses. A CNC apresentou tamanho médio de partículas de 679 nm, índice de cristalinidade de 54%, diâmetros mais frequentes entre 55 e 65 nm e rendimento de aproximadamente 48%. A CNF apresentou tamanho médio de 722 nm e diâmetros com maior frequência em torno de 60 nm, e rendimento de aproximadamente 38%. As suspensões aquosas de CNC e CNF apresentaram baixa estabilidade, quando monitoradas através do potencial zeta. / Nanocelluloses are particles with at least one dimension smaller than 100 nm. Their production from lignocellulosic materials has gained prominence in recent years. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) is traditionally produced through acid hydrolysis using high acid concentration, high water volume and results in low yield. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) is produced by mechanical defibrillation of cellulosic pulps with high energy consumption. On the other hand, despite the fact the production of 2G ethanol has already reached commercial production, with the first commercial facilities around the worldwide, complete enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose for this purpose is not economically viable and generates a highly recalcitrant residue rich in cellulose and, which could be used to produce nanocelluloses, high-added value products. In this context, this study investigated the technical viability of obtaining nanocelluloses integrated into the production process of fermentable sugars to obtain 2G ethanol from sugarcane bagasse. Initially, at a pilot plant for production of2G ethanol, sugarcane bagasse was pre-treated by steam explosion, generating cellulignin, which was delignified with NaOH. The resulting cellulosic pulp was treated with hydrogen peroxide in an alkaline medium to remove residual lignin. The materials generated after the pre-treatment and the pulping process in alkaline medium were characterized regarding their chemical composition and then hydrolyzed with different loads of enzymes. The results showed that the pre-treatments applied to the bagasse caused the enrichment in cellulose and the decrease of lignin and hemicelluloses contents, leading to a greater access of the enzymes to cellulose. The enzymatic charges used in the experiments, which were evaluated in combination with the increase of the solids loading together with the change of the agitation system, resulted in a cellulose conversion of around 80%, reaching concentrations above 120 g/L. Using the hydrolysis residue of the cellulosic pulp, nanocelluloses were obtained. The CNC showed a mean particle size of 679 nm, crystallinity index of 54%, diameters between 55 and 65 nm and a yield of about 48%. The CNF displayed an average particle size of 722 nm and diameters with higher frequency around 60 nm. The aqueous suspensions of CNC and CNF showed low stability when monitored through the zeta potential.

Nanocellulose has received considerable interest during the last decade because it is renewable and biodegradable, and has excellent mechanical properties, nanoscale dimensions and wide functionalization possibilities. It is considered to be a unique and versatile platform on which new functional materials can be based. This thesis focuses on nanocellulose from wood (NFC) and from Cladophora algae (CNC), functionalized with surface charges or coated with the conducting polymer polypyrrole (PPy), aiming to study the influence of synthesis processes on structural and electrochemical properties of such materials and assess their biocompatibility. The most important results of the work demonstrated that 1) CNC was oxidized to the same extent using electrochemical TEMPO-mediated oxidation as with conventional TEMPO processes, which may facilitate easier reuse of the reaction medium; 2) NFC and CNC films with or without surface charges were non-cytotoxic as assessed by indirect in vitro testing. Anionic TEMPO-CNC films promoted fibroblast adhesion and proliferation in direct in vitro cytocompatibility testing, possibly due to its aligned fibril structure; 3) Rinsing of PPy-coated nanocellulose fibrils, which after drying into free-standing porous composites are applicable for energy storage and electrochemically controlled ion extraction, significantly degraded the PPy coating, unless acidic rinsing was employed. Only minor degradation was observed during long-term ambient storage; 4) Variations in the drying method as well as type and amount of nanocellulose offered ways of tailoring the porosities of nanocellulose/PPy composites between 30% and 98%, with increments of ~10%. Supercritical CO2-drying generated composites with the largest specific surface area yet reported for nanocellulose/conducting polymer composites (246 m2/g). The electrochemical oxidation rate was found to be controlled by the composite porosity; 5) In blood compatibility assessments for potential hemodialysis applications, heparinization of CNC/PPy composites was required to obtain thrombogenic properties comparable to commercial hemodialysis membranes. The pro-inflammatory characteristics of non-heparinized and heparinized composites were, to some extent, superior to commercial membranes. The heparin coating did not affect the solute extraction capacity of the composite. The presented results are deemed to be useful for tuning the properties of systems based on the studied materials in e.g. energy storage, ion exchange and biomaterial applications.

In the past decade there has been increasing interest in exploring the use of nanocellulose in medicine. However, the influence of the physicochemical properties of nanocellulose on the material´s biocompatibility has not been fully investigated.  In this thesis, thin films of nanocellulose from wood (NFC) and from Cladophora algae (CC) were modified by the addition of charged groups on their surfaces and the influence of these modifications on the material´s physicochemical properties and on cell responses in vitro was studied. The results indicate that the introduction of charged groups on the surface of NFC and CC results in films with decreased surface area, smaller average pore size and a more compact structure compared with the films of unmodified nanocelluloses. Furthermore, the fibres in the carboxyl-modified CC films were uniquely aggregated and aligned, a state which tended to become more prevalent with increased surface-group density. The biocompatibility studies showed that NFC films containing hydroxypropyltrime-thylammonium (HPTMA) groups presented a more cytocompatible surface than unmodified NFC and carboxymethylated NFC regarding human dermal fibroblasts. Carboxymethyl groups resulted in NFC films that promoted inflammation, while HPTMA groups had a passivating effect in terms of inflammatory response.  On the other hand, both modified CC films behaved as inert materials in terms of the inflammatory response of monocytes/macrophages and, under pro-inflammatory stimuli, they suppressed secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α, with the effects of the carboxylated CC film more pronounced than those of the HPTMA CC material.  Carboxyl CC films showed good cytocompatibility with fibroblasts and osteoblastic cells. However, it was necessary to reach a threshold value in carboxyl-group density to obtain CC films with cytocompatibility comparable to that of commercial tissue culture material.  The studies presented here highlight the ability of the nanocellulose films to modulate cell behaviour and provide a foundation for the design of nanocellulose-based materials that trigger specific cell responses. The bioactivity of nanocellulose may be optimized by careful tuning of the surface properties. The outcomes of this thesis are foreseen to contribute to our fundamental understanding of the biointerface phenomena between cells and nanocellulose as well as to enable engineering of bioinert, bioactive, and bioadaptive materials.

Research of new sustainable and low cost materials, such as cellulose, is of high interest. Modifications of the cellulose can be performed in order to create a “smart” material which responds to external stimuli, such as variations in pH and temperature, by changing its properties. This “smart” behavior is observed in some polymers, however, for certain applications they exhibit poor mechanical properties. These polymers can be bound by physical adsorption to cellulose, both in macro and nano scale, creating an improved “smart” composite material. In this project, thermoresponsive block-copolymers with different lengths of poly (diethylene glycol) methacrylate (PDEGMA) and poly N-(2-dimethylamino ethyl) methacrylate (PDMAEMA) in only one length, PDMAEMA-b-PDEGMA, were synthesized employing atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). 1H-NMR, SEC and DLS were used to characterize the block-copolymers. UV-Vis spectroscopy was employed to confirm the thermo-responsive behavior of the charged and uncharged block-copolymers, being lower for the higher molecular weight ones due to the higher polymer-polymer interactions. In a second step, PDMAEMA was charged positively by quaternization of its amine group with ICH3. Polyelectrolyte titration was used to determine the total number of charges in the quaternized block-copolymers. In addition, TEMPO-oxidized nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) was produced by procedures found in literature. Finally, adsorption of the cationic block-copolymers onto the anionic NFC in tris base at pH 8.3 was performed and purified by consecutive filtrations, creating a novel smart composite material with different PDEGMA lengths in the block-copolymer. FT-IR confirmed that the block-copolymers were successfully adsorbed to the NFC. TGA results showed a higher thermal stability for the composite than for the TEMPO-NFC and quaternized block-copolymers. The block-copolymer modified NFC exhibited thermoresponsive behavior with LCST’s ranging from 30 to 44 °C, from higher to lower molecular weights, respectively.  Adsorption of polyelectrolytes in modified cellulose could be a promising way to create smart improved materials in further research.

Sporopollenin is considered a resistant material and might be applicable in flame retardant material. The use of renewable material in fields mainly dominated by toxic materials, such as bromides in flame retardant materials, could greatly improve the sustainability in those fields. A renewable porous film could be of interest in applications were cellophane is used today. The aim of this report is to investigate some basic properties of films made from nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and Lycopodium spores with a specific focus on flame retardant and mechanical properties. These properties were investigated using machines such as SEM, a universal electromechanical tester, TGA and vertical flame testing. During the production of the films an ultra turrax, rotavapor and rapid köthen was used. The films containing spores did not improved properties such as flame retardancy and mechanical properties when compared to the original NFC film. Density was lowered by almost half in some cases compared to the original NFC-film. Mechanical properties of the alkali-treated spores showed a significant increase compared to the untreated spores. An increased spore-ratio shows a decreased Young’s modulus. Further research on flame retardancy could be done using xyloglucan or another more flame retardant organic compound as a matrix. A foaming agent inside the sporopollenin could also contribute to flame retardancy. The mechanical properties could be compared to cellophane in order to see any future possibility of application. If possible pure sporopollenin should be used instead of whole spores. / Degree Project in Polymeric Materials, First Cycle

Globalization and centralization have resulted in prolonged transportation time between producer and consumer, and thus put more demand on the perseveration of a product for longer duration and protect it from oxidation. The presence of oxygen in packages severely foreshortens the storage life as it yield losses of nutrients and allow microbial growth, which can cause changes in smell, taste as well as discoloration. Earlier food and beverage containers were made in inorganic materials e.g. metal and glass, however lately more and more focus have been on synthetic organic materials as these show several advantages, e.g. weight. However, still today most of the commercial packaging materials, organic or inorganic, are not considered to be environmental friendly. Thus, efforts have to be made today in order to invent alternative materials that can make the society of tomorrow more sustainable. Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer in the world, hence making it desirable to use in “green” packaging applications. Furthermore, cellulose has proven being able to form films with great gas barrier potential under specific conditions. However, cellulose based materials are sensitive to moisture with severely increased oxygen transmission with increased relative humidity as a result; hence it is desired to make cellulose less hygroscopic by chemical modification. First, nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) with 720 mmol carboxylic groups/g fiber was produced by oxidation of dissolving pulp before homogenization. Thereafter a polymer was synthesized utilizing Initiator A as an initiator at T1 and T2. The polymer synthesized at T1 yielded a polymer with a viscosity average molecular weight of 5770 g/mol.  The polymer was then grafted on the oxidized NFC through a coupling reaction performed in Buffer C using Coupling agent A. The grafting procedure was performed in Buffer C at ambient conditions giving rise to a material composed of 33 wt% synthetic polymer and 67 wt% NFC. The coupling was conducted several times in order to investigate how the final product can be affected by varying reactant feed and dispersion method. Finally, films of NFC and NFC-g-Polymer were manufactured by vacuum filtration from a 0.05 wt% Solvent A dispersion and were evaluated with field emission scanning electron microscopy.

Yes / Antibacterial hydrogels have been intensively studied due to their wide practical potential in wound healing. However, developing an antibacterial hydrogel that is able to integrate with exceptional mechanical properties, cell affinity, and adhesiveness will remain a major challenge. Herein, a novel hydrogel with antibacterial and superior biocompatibility properties was developed using aluminum ions (Al3+) and alginate− dopamine (Alg-DA) chains to cross-link with the copolymer chains of acrylamide and acrylic acid (PAM) via triple dynamic noncovalent interactions, including coordination, electrostatic interaction, and hydrogen bonding. The cationized nanofibrillated cellulose (CATNFC), which was synthesized by the grafting of long-chain quaternary ammonium salts onto nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), was utilized innovatively in the preparation of antibacterial hydrogels. Meanwhile, alginate-modified dopamine (Alg-DA) was prepared from dopamine (DA) and alginate. Within the hydrogel, the catechol groups of Alg-DA provided a decent fibroblast cell adhesion to the hydrogel. Additionally, the multitype cross-linking structure within the hydrogel rendered the outstanding mechanical properties, self-healing ability, and recycling in pollution-free ways. The antibacterial test in vitro, cell affinity, and wound healing proved that the as-prepared hydrogel was a potential material with all-around performances in both preventing bacterial infection and promoting tissue regeneration during wound healing processes. / This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32070826 and 51861165203), the Chinese Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M650239, 2020T130762), the Sichuan Science and Technology Program (2019YJ0125), the State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering (sklpme2019-2-19), the Chongqing Research Program of Basic Research and Frontier Technology (cstc2018jcyjAX0807), Chongqing Medical Joint Research Project of Chongqing Science and Technology Committee & Health Agency (2020GDRC017), and the RCUK China-UK Science Bridges Program through the Medical Research Council, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

Organic electronics is the study of organic materials with electronic functionality and the applications of such materials. In the 1970s, the discovery that polymers can be made electrically conductive led to an explosion within this field which has continued to grow year by year. One of the attractive features of organic electronic materials is their inherent mechanical flexibility, which has led to the development of numerous flexible electronics technologies such as organic light emitting diodes and solar cells on flexible substrates. The possibility to produce electronics on flexible substrates like plastic or paper has also had a large impact on the field of printed, electronics where inks with electronic functionality are used for large area fabrication of electronic devices using classical printing methods, such as screen printing, inkjet printing and flexography. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the use of cellulose in organic and printed electronics, not only as a paper substrate but also as a component in composite materials where the cellulose provides mechanical strength and favorable 3D-microstructures. Nanofibrillated cellulose is composed of cellulose fibers with high aspect-ratio and diameters in the nanometer range. Due to its remarkable mechanical strength, large area-to-volume ratio, optical transparency and solution processability it has been widely used as a scaffold or binder for electronically active materials in applications such as batteries, supercapacitors and optoelectronics. The focus of this thesis is on flexible devices based on conductive polymers and can be divided into two parts: (1) Composite materials of nanofibrillated cellulose and the conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS and (2) patterning of vapor phase polymerized conductive polymers. In the first part, it is demonstrated how the combination of cellulose and conductive polymers can be used to make electronic materials of various form factors and functionality. Thick, freestanding and flexible “papers” are used to realize electrochemical devices such as transistors and supercapacitors while lightweight, porous and elastic aerogels are used for sensor applications. The second focus of the thesis is on a novel method of patterning conductive polymers produced by vapor phase polymerization using UV-light. This method is used to realize flexible electrochromic smart windows with high-resolution images and tunable optical contrast.