Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is an emerging material with outstanding properties in many scientific and industrial fields, in particular as an additive in composite materials.Its surface modification allows for the fine-tuning houston texans shorts of its properties and the exploitation of these materials in a plethora of applications.In this paper, we present the covalent linkage of a luminescent Ir-complex onto the surface of MCC, representing the first incorporation of an organometallic luminescent probe in this biomaterial.This goal has been achieved with an easy and sustainable procedure, which employs a Bronsted-acid ionic liquid as a catalyst for the esterification reaction of -OH cellulose surface groups.
The obtained luminescent cellulose microcrystals display hiboost 4k smart link high and stable emissions with the incorporation of only a small amount of iridium (III).Incorporation of MCC-Ir in dry and wet matrices, such as films and gels, has been also demonstrated, showing the maintenance of the luminescent properties even in possible final manufacturers.