TRANSPORT PROPERTIES OF CHEMICALLY CROSSLINKED HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE IN SOLVATED STATE

Transport properties of chemically crosslinked hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) in the solvated state were investigated. Chemical crosslinking of HPC was performed by esterification of hydroxyl groups using adipoyl chloride as a crosslinker. The formation of a permanent network by the crosslinking was confirmed by limited swelling of the HPC film in acetone. Furthermore, the wide-angle X-ray scattering profile showed the crosslinked HPC retained the liquid crystalline supramolecular order even in the solvated state. The lyotropic liquid crystallinity in the solvated HPC film was affected by the solvents used. Furthermore, the permeability and diffusivity of neutral red through the crosslinked HPC membrane showed a marked contrast in the two types of solvents, i.e., ethanol and 1-propanol. This, in turn, suggests that the transport properties within the HPC film can be controlled by the lyotropic liquid crystalline order. © 2016, Publishing House of the Romanian Academy. All rights reserved.