Tyler Swenson and Euxhena Cina, “Fabrication of Composite Cellulose Nanocrystals Films Using Magnetic Nanoparticles”
Mentor: Chiu Law, Electrical Engineering
Poster #171

Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) are a useful material made from Cellulose, an abundant natural polymer found in many things such as plants, bacteria, and several other sources. These structures have many different applications due to their optical properties which can be seen from the color that is resulted from these microstructures. This effect can be seen with the optical grating that reveals a rainbow-colored light when shined upon by sunlight. The formation of these structures occurs during the evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) of the composite, which can be used to introduce other factors into the composite. To further expand on the uses of CNC nanomaterials, we are hoping to be able to further tune the optical properties of the material by introducing magnetic particles. This will allow for the pitch length of the microstructure to be altered from a magnetic field produced by an electrical current. From the attraction between the nanoparticles, the CNC is compressed to a shorter pitch length and shortens the wavelength of the composite. We analyze the alterations made to the composite when these magnetic particles are mixed into the CNC to optimize the alignment and pitch length of the structure using a magnetic field. This composite can be used as a basis for a current sensor. For example, this could be potentially used in a current sensor that can be enabled by a magnetic field that produces a magnetic actuation that compresses the magnetic nanoparticles in the CNC film. This application can be used in expanding the optical responses of the CNC film that can be utilized within electronic systems.