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Clay-based functional hydrogels were facilely prepared via a bioinspired approach. Montmorillonite (clay) was exfoliated into single layers in water and then coated with a thin layer of polydopamine (PDOPA) via in situ polymerization of dopamine under basic aqueous conditions. When a small amount of ferric salt was added into aqueous suspensions of the polydopamine-coated clay (D-clay), D-clay and Fe(3+) ions could rapidly self-assemble into three-dimensional networks through the formation of coordination bonds. Consequently, supramolecular hydrogels were formed at very low D-clay contents. Rheological measurements show that the D-clay/Fe(3+) hydrogels exhibit fairly elastic response in low stain range, and have self-healing capability upon removal of applied large stress. More importantly, the hydrogels can be used as adsorbents to effectively remove Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G), an organic pollutant, from water. UV-vis absorption spectra of the Rh6G-loaded hydrogels show bands related to π-π stacking interactions between the aromatic moieties of PDOPA and Rh6G, confirming the formation of PDOPA/Rh6G complex on the surface of D-clay.

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in diverse technologies requiring sustainable nanoscale species to form or modify films. The objective of the present study is to investigate the swelling behavior and accompanying free volume of self-standing TEMPO-oxidized (TO) CNF films in the presence of water vapor. For this purpose, we have performed time-resolved swelling experiments on films, prepared according to different experimental protocols, at 90% relative humidity (RH) and ambient temperature. Corresponding free-volume characteristics are elucidated by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) conducted at ambient temperature and several RH levels. Increasing the drying temperature of the films (from ambient to 50 °C) is observed to promote an increase in film density, which serves to reduce bulk swelling. These elevated drying temperatures likewise cause the free-volume pore size measured by PALS to decrease, while the corresponding total free-volume fraction remains nearly constant. Similarly, dispersion of TO-CNF into aqueous suspensions by ultrasonication prior to film formation increases both the total free-volume fraction and pore size but reduces the size of individual nanofibrils with little net change in bulk swelling. The swelling and concurrent free-volume measurements reported here generally reveal an increase in the free volume of TO-CNF films with increasing RH.

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