An ESCA study of chemical reactions on the surfaces of cellulose fibers

Cellulose fibers in the form of paper sheets were chemically modified with different functional groups using trichloro-s-triazine as coupling moiety. The treatments made the paper surfaces hydrophobic, as was indicated by an increase in contact angle against water. ESCA was used for the chemical characterization of the paper surfaces. The shape of the carbon 1s peak depended on the chemical functionality of the triazine derivatives. As a reference, ESCA spectra were also recorded for the triazine derivatives precipitated on aluminum plates. The chemical composition of modified cellulose surfaces could then be determined using a computer program for the peak separation and peak area measurement.