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Hypothesis: The synthesis and characterization of aminated nanocrystalline cellulose (ANCC), a new member of the hairy nanocellulose family, is reported. Hairy nanocelluloses consist of a crystalline rod-like body with amorphous cellulose chains ("hairs") at both ends, on which various functional groups can be accommodated. In ANCC these groups are reactive primary amine groups, which are useful for bioconjugation- and Schiff base-centered modifications. We hypothesize that a two-step oxidation-reductive amination of cellulose fibers followed by hydrothermal treatment will result in the formation of rod-like hairy ANCC., Experiments: ANCC was prepared by converting the aldehyde groups in cellulose, introduced by a periodate oxidation, to primary amines using ammonia and sodium borohydride, followed by a hot water treatment, during which diamine modified cellulose fibers were converted to ANCC. ANCC was characterized by AFM, TEM, DLS, ELS, FTIR, NMR, XPS and conductometric titration. Antibacterial activity of ANCC was assessed by the viable cell counting method., Findings: ANCC, with an amine content of 5.5 mmol g -1 is a bare nanocolloid (i.e. non-coated, without adsorbed polyelectrolytes or surfactants) which, as far as we know, has a positive charge density larger than any other bare cationic nanocolloid. It was observed that ANCC particles have a needle-like morphology with a width of ~ 5 nm and a length ~ 120 nm. DLS results proof that ANCC is hairy. Spectroscopic analysis confirmed the introduction of surface primary amine groups. ANCC showed promising bactericidal activities, against Gram-negative species due to their thinner and penetrable cell wall., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hypothesis: Amphiphilic character of surfactants drives them at the interface of dispersed systems, such as emulsions. Hemicellulose-rich wood extracts contain assemblies (lignin-carbohydrate complexes, LCC) with natural amphiphilicity, which is expected to depend on their chemical composition resulting from the isolation method. Lignin-derived phenolic residues associated with hemicelluloses are hypothesized to contribute to emulsions' interfacial properties and stability., Experiments: We investigated the role of phenolic residues in spruce hemicellulose extracts in the stabilization of oil-in-water emulsions by physical and chemical approach. Distribution and changes occurring in the phenolic residues at the droplet interface and in the continuous phase were studied during an accelerated storage test. Meanwhile, the physical stability and lipid oxidation in emulsions were monitored., Findings: Naturally associated lignin residues in GGM act as vehicles for anchoring these hemicelluloses into the oil droplet interface and further enable superior stabilization of emulsions. By adjusting the isolation method of GGM regarding their phenolic profile, their functionalities, especially interfacial behavior, can be altered. Retaining the native interactions of GGM and phenolic residues is suggested for efficient physical stabilization and extended protection against lipid oxidation. The results can be widely applied as guidelines in tailoring natural or synthetic amphiphilic compounds for interfacial stabilization., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To obtain effective adsorbent that can remove emerging organic pollutant of triclosan (TCS) in aquatic environment, different ester-containing Gemini surfactant-modified MMT (EMMT) were prepared under microwave irradiation. The whole process was rapid, uniform, easy and energy-efficient. The structures and morphology of EMMT were characterized by XRD, TEM, FT-IR, SEM and TGA. The results revealed that the saturated intercalation amount of this surfactant was 0.8 times to cation exchange capacity (CEC) of MMT, and there was electrostatic interaction between ester-containing Gemini surfactant and MMT. In addition, they bound in the ways of intercalation, intercalation-adsorption or adsorption, which relied on the dosage of the surfactant. The surface of EMMT was hydrophobic, rough and fluffy, which contributed to its strong adsorption capacity. The adsorption equilibrium data of EMMT for TCS were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isothermal adsorption model. The result showed that Langmuir isothermal adsorption model could describe the adsorption behavior better, the adsorption behavior of TCS on EMMT was confirmed to a surface monolayer adsorption, and notably the theoretical maximum adsorption capacity was up to 133 mg/g. Therefore, this work lays important foundation on developing effective and safe absorbent materials for the treatment of emerging organic pollutants., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)