One-step electro-precipitation of nanocellulose hydrogels on conducting substrates and its possible applications: coatings, composites, and energy devices

TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCN) are pH-responsive biopolymers which undergo sol-gel transition at acidic conditions (pH < 4) due to charge neutralization. Electronically conducting materials can be coated by such gels during aqueous electrolysis, when an electrochemical reaction generates a local pH decrease at the electrode surface. In this work, electro-precipitation of different TOCN gels has been performed on oxygen evolving anodes. We demonstrate that TOCN hydrogels can be electrochemically coated on the surface of any conductive material with even complex 3D shape. Further, not only TOCN but also micro- or nanosized particles containing TOCN composites can be coated on the electrode surface, and coatings containing multiple layers of different composites can be also produced. We demonstrate that this simple and facile electrocoating technique can be subject to various applications, such as coatings making electrodes selective for the hydrogen evolution reaction, as well as a new eco-friendly aqueous-based synthesis of Li-ion battery electrodes.