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Updated: Dec 28, 2025
Towards Biomimicking Wood: Fabricated Free-standing Films of Nanocellulose, Lignin, and a Synthetic Polycation
Published on: June 17, 2014
Interphase Design of Cellulose Nanocrystals/Poly(hydroxybutyrate-ran-valerate) Bionanocomposites for Mechanical and
Chiara Magnani1, Alexander Idström2, Lars Nordstierna2,3
1Laboratory of Polymeric and Composite Materials (LPCM), Center of Innovation and Research in Materials and Polymers (CIRMAP), University of Mons (UMONS), 23 Place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium.
Abstract:
Poly[(3-hydroxybutyrate)-ran-(3-hydroxyvalerate)] (PHBV) is a bacterial polyester with a strong potential as a substitute for oil-based thermoplastics due to its biodegradability and renewability. However, its inherent slow crystallization rate limits its thermomechanical properties and therefore its applications. In this work, surface-modified cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have been investigated as green and biosourced nucleating and reinforcing agent for PHBV matrix. Different ester moieties from the CNCs were thereby produced through a green one-pot hydrolysis/Fisher esterification. Beyond the improved dispersion, the CNCs surface esterification affected the thermal and thermomechanical properties of PHBV. The results demonstrate that butyrate-modified CNCs, mimicking the PHBV chemical structure, brought a considerable improvement toward the CNCs/matrix interface, leading to an enhancement of the PHBV thermomechanical properties via a more efficient stress transfer, especially above its glass transition.
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