Aqueous bifunctionalization of cellulose nanocrystals through amino and alkyl silylation: functionalization, characterization, and performance of nanocrystals in quartz microflotation

Surface modifications of cellulose nanomaterials can be used to tailor their surface charge and hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity characteristics. Additionally, it can facilitate the selective interaction of nanocelluloses with other solid particles to further expand their applicability in different fields. For instance, cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) with amphiphilic features are potential green alternatives in mineral processing such as particle flotation. In the present study, aqueous, one- and two-step silylation of CNCs with amino and alkyl silanes was considered to create a novel bifunctionalized CNCs that contained both positively charged amino silane moieties and hydrophobic alkyl chains. Especially, the effects of reaction conditions and different reaction routes on the silylation were investigated, and the electric surface potential and hydrophobicity of CNCs were determined. The bifunctionalization conducted by the simultaneous addition of an amino silane and alkyl silane led to a high reaction efficiency, and the grafting amount was notably higher than that obtained with the sequential reactions with individual reagents. After the functionalization, the hydrophobicity of the CNCs was strongly altered, leading to water contact angles of up to 135° on CNC films. However, the silylation with amino silanes slightly affected the ζ-potential of the functionalized CNCs. Due to the relatively low ζ-potential, the interaction and orthokinetic attachment of CNCs onto quartz surfaces were insufficient, resulting in a limited flotation recovery in microflotation using a Hallimond tube.