Cellulose nanocrystal and Pluronic L121-based thermo-responsive composite hydrogels

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) offer sustainability, biocompatibility, and mechanical strength for diverse applications.
• Challenges in CNC utilization include poor stimuli-responsiveness, limited compatibility with hydrophobic materials, and aggregation.
• Developing smart CNC-based systems requires overcoming these limitations for advanced functionalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct and characterize a thermo-responsive nanocomposite system using CNCs and Pluronic L121 (L121) polymersomes.
• To investigate the phase behavior and mechanical properties of the CNC-L121 composite system.
• To explore the potential of this system as a tunable, stimuli-responsive material.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of CNC-L121 nanocomposite hydrogels with varying CNC (4-5%) and L121 (1-20%) concentrations.
• Rheological analysis to study phase behavior, mechanical properties, and gelation temperature.
• Investigation of the influence of polymersomes and unimers on the CNC network structure and properties.

Main Results:

• The nanocomposite system exhibits thermo-responsive behavior, forming a stronger gel network above a tunable transition temperature.
• At higher L121 concentrations, the hydrogels become significantly stronger and more resistant to deformation.
• The presence of soft, deformable polymersomes enhances the elastic reinforcement of the CNC gels.

Conclusions:

• A novel thermo-responsive nanocomposite hydrogel system based on CNCs and L121 polymersomes was successfully developed.
• The system demonstrates tunable mechanical properties and thermo-reversible gelation, addressing key challenges in CNC utilization.
• This work presents a promising platform for advanced smart materials with tunable properties for various applications.