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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
Towards Biomimicking Wood: Fabricated Free-standing Films of Nanocellulose, Lignin, and a Synthetic Polycation
Published on: June 17, 2014
Construction of an interpenetrating polymer network in situ to develop multifunctional cellulose nanofiber-enhanced
Jiao Feng1, Yangbing Wen2, Wenmin Yang3
1Tianjin Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, No.29, 13th Avenue, Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area, Tianjin 300457, China; Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Advanced Material and Green Manufacture, Yantai 264006, China.
Abstract:
The development of biodegradable films with enhanced mechanical performance is of great importance for environmental concerns. Inspired by the unique multiple hydrogen bonding of spider silk, in this work, we developed a tough polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based, TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNF)-enhanced film with outstanding stretchability, mechanical strength, fatigue resistance, and biodegradability by constructing an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) with abundant hydrogen bonds via a combination of in situ radical-crosslinking and solvent casting method. The film incorporated 1 wt% of TOCNF, namely P/A-TCF1, exhibits excellent biodegradability, outstanding elongation (470 %), significant toughness (143 MJ/m3), healable efficiency (90 %) and high tensile strength (45 MPa), surpassing the performance of a vast of commercially-available films. Importantly, the P/A-TCF1 film can withstand 5000 actual 180° folds without causing any structural damage, and the tensile strength remains almost 90 % of its original value. This strategy provides a novel approach for exploring exceptional fold-resistant films.
