Upcycling cellulose and keratin wastes into high-performance robust, silky, and reusable hybrid textile yarns

In nature, abundant plant-derived cellulose wastes and animal-derived keratin wastes remain underutilized, highlighting the urgent need for high-value conversion strategies. Here, we propose a macromolecular engineering strategy based on dual-crosslinked cellulose/keratin networks, which integrates nanofibrillation, thiol-epoxy click chemistry, and EDC/NHS-mediated amidation to construct a stable and synergistic hybrid network. As a demonstrative application, this network is processed into high-performance textile yarns through electrospinning and wet-twisting. The resulting cellulose nanofiber (CNF)/feather keratin (FK) hybrid yarns exhibit superior performance compared with conventional cotton and wool yarns, including significantly higher tensile strength (222.23 MPa vs. cotton: 187.74 MPa; wool: 182.54 MPa), distinct silky properties with reduced surface friction (dynamic/static coefficients: 0.22/0.24 vs. cotton: 0.30/0.35; wool: 0.26/0.31), and excellent reusability. Additionally, the yarns show outstanding ultimate elongation (104.55% vs. cotton: 10.58%; wool: 16.27%), as well as enhanced moisture absorption, thermal insulation, softness, and biodegradability. This work fundamentally elucidates the design of robust cellulose-keratin networks and provides a scalable pathway for the high-value utilization of biomass wastes, offering a sustainable alternative for advanced textiles.