Probing Nanomechanical Properties of Coir Based Hierarchical Porous Cellulose Materials Coated with Silver Nanoparticles

Abstract In this work, Nanoindentation characterization established that the hardness (H) and elastic modulus (E) have been affected due to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) coating on the parent coir (PC), trans‐esterified parent coir (TEPC) and cured trans‐esterified parent coir (CTEPC), respectively. FTIR, XRD, and FESEM were used to characterize the samples. The coating of hydrophilic PC with a low concentration of silver (100 mM AgNO 3 ) endorses higher H and E than that of coating with a high concentration of silver (200 mM AgNO 3 ) and PC, respectively. However, coating of hydrophobic TEPC with a higher concentration of silver endorses higher H and E than that of coating with a lower concentration of silver and TEPC, respectively. Improved hydrophobicity and porosity of CTEPC, causes agglomeration due to the inter diffusion of particles during coating and reduces both H and E. The values of H and E of PC (H 251.13 ± 15.26 MPa, E 2.17 ± 0.21 GPa) vary from maximum (H 516.77 ± 18.36 MPa, E 10.04 ± 1.81 GPa) to minimum (H 160.16 ± 12.34 MPa, E 0.76109 ± 0.18616 GPa) for the coated fibers. These AgNP‐coated coir fibers could be very important materials for embedded capacitors, MOSFETs, and other electrical applications.