Dendrimer directed assembly of dicarboxylated hairy nanocellulose.

Hypothesis: Dendrimer-directed assembly of electrosterically stabilized nanocrystalline cellulose (ENCC) to form network structures was studied. ENCC is a member of the family of hairy nanocelluloses and consists of a crystalline rod and dicarboxylated cellulose chains ("hairs") protruding from both ends, which are very reactive. We hypothesized that covalent linking of ENCC and dendrimers should lead to self-assembled hybrid network structures in which dendrimeric nodes connect cellulose nanorods.