Disordered Cellulose-based Nanostructures for Enhanced Light-scattering

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how engineered cellulose nanocrystals can significantly enhance light scattering, creating sustainable, biocompatible materials with potential applications in optics and photonics.

Contribution

It introduces a method to optimize light scattering using cellulose nanocrystals, combining experimental and theoretical approaches for improved optical properties.

Findings

Enhanced light scattering (x4) compared to microfibre paper

Transport mean free path as low as 3.5 μm in visible light

Experimental results agree with diffusive light propagation models

Abstract

Cellulose is the most abundant bio-polymer on earth. Cellulose fibres, such as the one extracted form cotton or woodpulp, have been used by humankind for hundreds of years to make textiles and paper. Here we show how, by engineering light matter-interaction, we can optimise light scattering using exclusively cellulose nanocrystals. The produced material is sustainable, biocompatible and, when compared to ordinary microfibre-based paper, it shows enhanced scattering strength (x4) yielding a transport mean free path as low as 3.5 um in the visible light range. The experimental results are in a good agreement with the theoretical predictions obtained with a diffusive model for light propagation.