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The feasibility of employing chemical methods for enhancement of cellulose-based materials is dependent on the availability, price, and green index of the modifying agent. This study details the use of iodomethane, an inexpensive organo halide, to increase the hydrophobicity of thermo mechanical (TMP) samples, which renders them better structural elements for composite materials. For this system, we studied the influence of various concentration of iodomethane, concentration of caustic, and reaction time. Infrared spectroscopy suggested reaction of the organo halide with the hydroxyl groups of cellulose and lignin components of TMP. Pulp samples treated for 4 h or at low caustic concentration showed the least improvements plausibly due to pulp degradation or poor pulp swelling, respectively. On the other hand, pulp treated at 3 h using high concentrations of caustic were characterized with surfaces that were more hydrophobic. Thus, this study outlines a fast and organic solvent-free (clean up) method that can be used to enhance pulp samples for composite applications., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to characterize the surface, morphological, and thermal properties of hemp fibers treated with two commercially available, inexpensive, and water soluble sulfonic acid derivatives. Specifically, the cellulosic component of the fibers were targeted, because cellulose is not easily removed during chemical treatment. These acids have the potential to selectively transform the surfaces of natural fibers for composite applications. The proposed method proceeds in the absence of conventional organic solvents and high reaction temperatures. Surface chemical composition and signature were measured using gravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR). XPS data from the treated hemp fibers were characterized by measuring the reduction in O/C ratio and an increase in abundance of the C-C-O signature. FTIR confirmed the reaction with the emergence of peaks characteristic of disubstituted benzene and amino groups. Grafting of the sulfonic derivatives resulted in lower surface polarity. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that treated fibers were characterized by lower percent degradation between 200 and 300 °C, and a higher initial degradation temperature., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In plant physiology models involving bubble nucleation, expansion or elimination, it is typically assumed that the surface tension of xylem sap is equal to that of pure water, though this has never been tested. In this study we collected xylem sap from branches of the tree species Populus tremuloides, Betula papyrifera and Sorbus aucuparia over 3 months. We measured the instantaneous surface tension and followed changes over a period of 0.5-5 h using the pendant drop technique. In all three species the instantaneous surface tension was equal to or within a few percent of that of pure water. Further, in B. papyrifera and S. aucuparia the change over time following drop establishment, although significant, was very small. In P. tremuloides, however, there was a steep decline in surface tension over time that leveled off towards values 21-27% lower than that of pure water. This indicated the presence of surfactants. The values were lower for thinner distal branch segments than for proximal ones closer to the trunk. In some species it appears valid to assume that the surface tension of xylem sap is equal to that of water. However, in branch segments of P. tremuloides close to the terminal bud and hence potentially in other species as well, it may be necessary to take into account the presence of surfactants that reduce the surface tension over time.

The collapse of Langmuir monolayers of poly(vinyl stearate) (PVS) at the air-water interface has been investigated by combined measurements of the surface pressure-area isotherms and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to gain out-of-plane structural information on collapsed films transferred onto a solid substrate by a modified version of the inverse Langmuir-Schaefer deposition method. At high areas per monomer repeat unit, BAM imaging revealed that the films are heterogeneous, with large solidlike domains (25-200 mum in diameter) coexisting with liquidlike domains. Upon film compression, the domains coalesced to form a homogeneous monolayer before the film collapsed at constant pressure, forming irreversible three-dimensional (3D) structures. BAM images showed that two 3D structures coexisted: buckles of varying width extending across the surface and perpendicular to the direction of the compression and dotted islandlike structures. Upon expansion, the film fractured and both 3D protrusions persisted, explaining the marked hysteresis recorded in the Langmuir isotherms. Experiments with AFM confirmed the 3D nature of both protrusions and revealed that many buckles contain substructures corresponding to narrow buckles whose heights are a multiple of a single bilayer. Additionally, many multilayer islands with diameters spanning from 0.2 mum to over 3.5 mum were characterized by varying heights between 2 nm and up to over 50 nm. The key to the formation of the irreversible 3D structures is the presence of large inhomogeneities in the PVS monolayer, and a generalized phenomenological model is proposed to explain the collapse observed.