Assembly of Anisotropic Nanocellulose Films Stronger than the Original Tree

Natural structural materials frequently consist of multimaterial nanocomposites with complex superstructure giving rise to exceptional mechanical properties, but also commonly preventing access to their synthetic reproduction. Here we present the spin-assisted layer-by-layer assembly of anisotropic wood-inspired films composed of anionic cellulose nanofibrils and cationic poly(vinyl amine) possessing a tensile strength that exceeds that of the wood from which the fibers originate. The degree of orientation of the nanofibrils was studied by atomic force microscopy and depends strongly on the distance from the center of the spun surface. The nanofibrils are preferentially aligned in the direction of the shear flow, and consequently, the mechanical properties of such films differ substantially when measured parallel and perpendicular to the fibril orientation direction. For enabling a diversity of bioinspired applications including sensing, packaging, electronics, or optics, the preparation of nanocomposite materials and devices with anisotropic physical properties requires an extreme level of control over the positioning and alignment of nanoscale objects within the matrix material.