Fast fabrication of transparent and multi-luminescent TEMPO-oxidized nanofibrillated cellulose nanopaper functionalized with lanthanide complexes

Abstract

We designed an easy-to-fabricate multi-luminescent nanopaper with high transparency, for the first time, by grafting lanthanide complexes [Eu(dbm)₃(H₂O)₂, Sm(dbm)₃(H₂O)₂, Tb(tfacac)₃(H₂O)₂] on TEMPO mediated oxidized nanofibrillated cellulose (ONFC). The lanthanide complex functionalized ONFC nanopaper (Ln–ONFC nanopaper, Ln = Eu, Sm, Tb) with uniform luminescence was rapidly fabricated after solvent exchange using a press-controlled extrusion papermaking method. The new TEMPO-induced carboxyl groups on the surface of ONFC provided the possibility to participate in the coordination with lanthanide ions and then to construct heterogeneous network architectures. The fluorescent properties of the Ln–ONFC hybrid nanopaper were significantly influenced by the amount of lanthanide complexes and the solvent medium during the extrusion. Based on simple manipulation and mild conditions, a highly transparent NFC template provided a soft matrix and afforded the high thermal stability and excellent luminescent properties of the Ln–ONFC nanopaper, which yields ever increasing potential to supersede petroleum-based materials for diverse applications.