Sulfonated Cellulose Membranes: Physicochemical Properties and Ionic Transport versus Degree of Sulfonation

Abstract The next generation of green ion selective membranes is foreseen to be based on cellulosic nanomaterials with controllable properties. The introduction of ionic groups into the cellulose structure via chemical modification is one strategy to obtain desired functionalities. In this work, bleached softwood fibers are oxidatively sulfonated and thereafter homogenized to liberate the cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) from the fiber walls. The liberated CNFs are subsequently used to prepare and characterize novel cellulose membranes. It is found that the degree of sulfonation collectively affects several important properties of the membranes via the density of fixed charged groups on the surfaces of the CNFs, in particular the membrane morphology, water uptake and swelling, and correspondingly the ionic transport. Both ionic conductivity and cation transport increase with the increased level of sulfonation of the starting material. Thus, it is shown that the chemical modification of the CNFs can be used as a tool for precise and rational design of green ion selective membranes that can replace expensive conventional fluorinated ionomer membranes.