Cold Alkali Treatment Enabled Stretchable yet Mechanically Strong All-Cellulose Composite.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40053381.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c00064.
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Abstract
Biodegradable cellulose films are promising alternatives to plastics, but achieving stretchable all-cellulose composites (ACCs) remains challenging. Here, we present a scalable strategy for creating stretchable yet mechanically strong ACCs. This approach integrates swollen-regenerated microfibers with dissolution-regenerated cellulose to form multiscale architectures, achieved through mechanical pretreatments and cold NaOH treatment of kraft pulp, followed by vacuum filtration and press-drying. Swollen-regenerated microfibers establish preferential sacrificial networks that enhance mechanical strength through nanofiber pull-out, while dissolution-regenerated cellulose matrix facilitates nanoscale load transfer, maintaining ductility. The ACC achieves a tensile strength of 89.0 MPa, a strain to failure of 24.7%, and a work of fracture of 17.3 MJ m<sup>-3</sup>─1.3 times stronger, 1.5 times more stretchable, and 3.8 times tougher than microfibrillated cellulose films. With added benefits of wet strength, grease resistance, oxygen barrier property, and biodegradability, this work demonstrates a scalable approach to engineering multiscale cellulose networks for sustainable packaging.