@article{THESIS,
      recid = {3622},
      author = {Lettow, James H},
      title = {Polymer-Grafted Cellulose Nanocrystals: Structure.  Properties, and Interfaces},
      publisher = {University of Chicago},
      school = {Ph.D.},
      address = {2021-12},
      number = {THESIS},
      pages = {289},
      abstract = {Polymer nanocomposites, due to combining constituent  properties, can fulfil a wide variety of applications,  ranging from structural materials to filtration membranes  to battery separators. However, nanofiller aggregation can  pose detrimental to best maximizing the nanocomposite  properties. Polymer-grafted nanoparticles, which when cast  into films without additional matrix material, limit  nanofiller aggregation due to the covalent bonding between  nanofiller and polymer matrix, and although the class of  materials has seen increasing study, gaps remain  particularly in anisotropic nanofiller and ionically  conductive matrices. This dissertation will focus on  investigating polymer-grafted cellulose nanocrystals to  establish structure/property relationships, particularly  between the grafted polymer conformation and composite  mechanical properties, ion conductivity enhancement in  hydrated, polyelectrolyte grafted systems, as well as  explore the rationale for ion conductivity enhancement at  their interfaces. To this end polystyrene-grafted cellulose  nanocrystals will be used as a model system to investigate  the polymer graft conformation and its impact on the  thermally dependent elastic modulus and material fracture  toughness. Hydrated, poly(2-vinylpyridine)-grafted  cellulose nanocrystals treated with iodomethane will then  be used to probe the ionic conductivity enhancement  (compared to ungrafted polymer) by altering the polymer  molecular weight, grafting density, and architecture.  Finally, the interfacial contribution to ionic conductivity  will be explored using thin film, model polymer brushes on  interdigitated electrodes to differentiate competing  hypotheses of surface hydrophilicity and functional group  content.},
      url = {http://knowledge.uchicago.edu/record/3622},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.6082/uchicago.3622},
}