Title
Novel fluorescent soft material prepared from cellulose solutions in alkali/urea aqueous system
Authors
WENMING ZHANG TIANQI WANG SHIFENG LI KUN CHENG SHUANGZHI WEI LING LI JIE MENG and YU ZHAO

Received August 26, 2016
Published Volume 51 Issue 9-10 September-December
Keywords cellulose, hydrogels, compressive strength, swelling ratio, fluorescence intensity, fluorescer

Abstract
A series of novel cellulose-based hybrid hydrogels were prepared through cellulose and fluorescer Tb³⁺ doped Y₄Si₂O₇N₂ (YT) in NaOH/urea aqueous solution using epichlorohydrin (ECH) as a cross-linker. The structure and properties were characterized by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-IR and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as by swelling ratio measurements and compression tests. The results revealed that the green fluorescence intensity of the cellulose-based hybrid hydrogels became stronger with an increase of YT contents. The hybrid hydrogels exhibited homogeneous porous structures and the YT particles were tightly embedded in the macroporous cellulose matrix. When the content of YT particles was 0.02 g, the cellulose-based hybrid hydrogels (YTCH3) exhibited stronger fluorescence intensity, higher compressive strength and modulus, and lower swelling ratio.