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Emulsion-engineered polylactide-based polyurethane/MXene films for high-performance flexible and biointegrated
Oceu Dwi Putri1,2, Atitsa Petchsuk3, Shu Han Hsu1
1School of Integrated Science and Innovation, Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (SIIT), Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
None:
Designing soft conductive polymeric materials with mechanical resilience and low filler loading remains a challenge in wearable electronics. This work presents a strategy based on sustainable precursors for fabricating flexible, conductive films from polylactide (PLA)-based polyurethane (PU) and delaminated MXene (Ti3C2Tx) through emulsion-assisted processing. Using virgin PLA as a controlled model feedstock, the polymer was depolymerized into hydroxyl-terminated oligomers via microwave-assisted alcohol-acidolysis and employed as polyol precursors for PU synthesis. Emulsification of PLA-PU and MXene with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as a compatibilizer yielded hybrid films with superior MXene dispersion and lower percolation thresholds (≤10 wt %) compared to solution-cast films (≥40 wt %). The 6:4 and 7:3 PLA-PU/MXene/PVA films offered an optimal balance of tensile strength and flexibility. The films exhibited sensitive, reproducible responses to macro- (finger bending) and micro-strains (vocal/laryngeal vibrations). The study advances PLA upcycling into high-performance electronic materials derived from biocompatible precursors for next-generation health monitoring and bio-integrated systems.
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