Cellulose is lack of UV-blocking and antibacterial properties, which have limited its application. In this work, the nanoscale lignin with high content of hydroxyl groups and small particle size in ...prehydrolysate was isolated and used as a green reinforcement ingredient for fabrication of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) films with excellent mechanical properties, as well as UV protection and antibacterial capabilities. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM) and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses showed that the resulting lignin was in the form of nanoparticles (6–12 nm) with high phenolic hydroxyl contents (4.9 mmol/g). The optimum lignin inclusion rate of 5% allowed it to reinforce CNF composite film, increasing its tensile strength from 108.5 to 143.3 MPa. In addition, the film exhibited excellent UV protection capabilities. It blocked 91.5% of UV-A and 99.9% of UV-B light. Finally, the resulting lignin-based CNF films exhibited antibacterial activities against both
Escherichia coli
and
Streptococcus hemolyticus
. This work demonstrates the utility of nanoscale lignin from prehydrolysate can be used to produce cellulose-based composite films with valuable properties.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Developing advanced building materials with both excellent thermal insulating and optical properties to replace common glass (thermal conductivity of ∼1 W m–1 K–1) is highly desirable for ...energy-efficient applications. The recent development of transparent wood suggests a promising building material with many advantages, including high optical transmittance, tunable optical haze, and excellent thermal insulation. However, previous transparent wood materials generally have a high haze (typically greater than 40%), which is a major obstacle for their practical application in the replacement of glass. In this work, we fabricate a clear wood material with an optical transmittance as high as 90% and record-low haze of 10% using a delignification and polymer infiltration method. The significant removal of wood components results in a highly porous microstructure, much thinner wood cell walls, and large voids among the cellulose fibrils, which a polymer can easily enter, leading to the dense structure of the clear wood. The separated cellulose fibrils that result from the removal of the wood components dramatically weaken light scattering in the clear wood, which combined with the highly dense structure produces both high transmittance and extremely low haze. In addition, the clear wood exhibits an excellent thermal insulation property with a low thermal conductivity of 0.35 W m–1 K–1 (one-third of ordinary glass); thus, the application of clear wood can greatly improve the energy efficiency of buildings. The developed clear wood, combining excellent thermal insulating and optical properties, represents an attractive alternative to common glass toward energy-efficient buildings.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Herein, lignocellulosic nanofibrils (LCNF) suspension containing 0.1, 3.9, and 17.2 wt% lignin were utilized to fabricate films by filtration and pressing process. The stiff nature of fibrils ...containing lignin made them less able to conform during filtration, resulting in more uneven surface structure with higher roughness value. Lignin in the films interfered in hydrogen bonding between cellulose nanofibrils, thus impairing mechanical property of the film, such as tensile stress and Young’s modulus. Due to the presence of chromophore groups, lignin absorbed light and the light transmittance of film was decreased. However, the film containing lignin displayed unusually high hydrophobicity with water contact angle of 88° and maximal weight loss temperature (
T
max
) of 372 °C. Overall, this study provides useful knowledge for understanding the result of lignin on the formation, surface morphology and physical behavior of LCNF films, especially in related bioproducts that requires low hydrophilicity, high roughness and high thermal stability.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Highlights
A novel, non-porous carbon structure was obtained through pyrolysis of biomass heterostructures consisting of cellulose and lignin.
The novel class of biomass-derived carbon materials ...exhibit an enhanced electromagnetic (EM) loss capability due to the nano-antenna structure created by in-situ growth of carbon nanofibers on carbon nanosheets.
The designed carbon materials exhibit good hydrophobicity and acid/base resistance, suggesting a stable EM absorption performance in diverse environmental conditions, thus making it a good candidate for real world conditions.
Although advances in wireless technologies such as miniature and wearable electronics have improved the quality of our lives, the ubiquitous use of electronics comes at the expense of increased exposure to electromagnetic (EM) radiation. Up to date, extensive efforts have been made to develop high-performance EM absorbers based on synthetic materials. However, the design of an EM absorber with both exceptional EM dissipation ability and good environmental adaptability remains a substantial challenge. Here, we report the design of a class of carbon heterostructures via hierarchical assembly of graphitized lignocellulose derived from bamboo. Specifically, the assemblies of nanofibers and nanosheets behave as a nanometer-sized antenna, which results in an enhancement of the conductive loss. In addition, we show that the composition of cellulose and lignin in the precursor significantly influences the shape of the assembly and the formation of covalent bonds, which affect the dielectric response-ability and the surface hydrophobicity (the apparent contact angle of water can reach 135°). Finally, we demonstrate that the obtained carbon heterostructure maintains its wideband EM absorption with an effective absorption frequency ranging from 12.5 to 16.7 GHz under conditions that simulate the real-world environment, including exposure to rainwater with slightly acidic/alkaline pH values. Overall, the advances reported in this work provide new design principles for the synthesis of high-performance EM absorbers that can find practical applications in real-world environments.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
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•LNP can be mixed with CNF, PVA and borax to assemble self-healable hydrogel.•CNF acted as reinforcing agents to enhance the interaction between polymer matrix.•LNP acted as ...nano-spacers to impede aggregation between hydrophilic materials.•Tuning LNP content can be an effective way to tailor the hydrogel property.
To face the increasing demand of self-healing hydrogels with high performance for various applications ranging from bioscaffolds, culture matrices to responsive electronic devices, lignin nanoparticle-containing composite hydrogels are assembled via dynamic reversible didiol-borax linkages and linear polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). Lignin nanoparticles (LNP) acted as nano-spacers to fill the three-dimensional network, leading to enhanced viscoelasticity and thermal stability of hydrogel. With the increased LNP content, composite hydrogel exhibited the highest storage modulus and loss modulus of 8504 Pa and 3260 Pa, respectively, 28 times and 18 times greater than pure hydrogel without LNP. The resulting hydrogel showed porous network structure and excellent recovery behavior under continuous step strain. In general, this work demonstrates a facile approach to transfer nanoscale building blocks to 3D polymeric materials with tunable dynamic rheology properties and may provide a new prospect for the rational design of functional hydrogels for applications that require high rheological property.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Two lignin-containing cellulose nanofibril (LCNF) samples, produced from two unbleached kraft pulps with very different lignin contents, were used to produce reinforced polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) ...hydrogels. The effects of LCNF loading (0.25–2 wt %) and lignin content on the rheological and mechanical properties of the reinforced hydrogels were investigated. The 2 wt % LCNF-reinforced PVA hydrogels exhibited up to a 17-fold increase in storage modulus and a 4-fold increase in specific Young’s modulus over that of pure PVA hydrogel. Both the mechanical and rheological properties of LCNF-reinforced PVA hydrogels can be tuned by varying LCNF loading and LCNF lignin content. During LCNF production, lignin reduced cellulose depolymerization, resulting in LCNF with high aspect ratios that promoted entanglement and physical bridging of the hydrogel network. Free lignin particles generated during LCNF production acted as multifunctional nanospacers that increased porosity of the hydrogels. Because LCNFs were produced from unbleached chemical pulps, which have high yields and do not require bleaching, this study provides a more sustainable approach to utilize lignocelluloses to produce biomass-based hydrogels than by methods using commercial bleached pulps.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
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•Graphene/silver nanoparticles coating exhibited timely transfer of electrons and heat due to the 3D electric conductive network.•The aluminum film played the dual functions of ...electromagnetic interference shielding and heat transfer.•The material showed excellent electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of 4431 S/m and 92.29 dB, respectively.•The material exhibited outstanding mechanical properties with tensile strength of 32 MPa and elongation at break of 6.65%.
Rubber and plastic are widely acted as substrates in flexible electromagnetic shielding (EMS) materials. However, these materials have several drawbacks in practical applications, such as potential environmental concerns and difficulties in degrading. In this work, a biodegradability paper-based material composed of electromagnetic wave loss layer (graphene/ silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) coating) and reflective layer (aluminum film layer) was successfully fabricated. The electromagnetic wave loss layer constructed three-dimensional (3D) electric conductive network to facilitate the timely transfer of electrons and heat energy obtained from electromagnetic waves. Meanwhile, the reflective layer received electrons and heat from the electric conductive network and make a small quantity of transmission wave back to the wave loss layer. The resulting material exhibited an ultrahigh electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of 92.29 dB within 8–13 GHz, electrical conductivity of 4431 S/m, mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 32 MPa and elongation at break of 6.65%. Compared to the traditional EMS materials, the composite material integrated with excellent EMI SE, heat transfer performance, and weatherability, which has potential applications in microelectronics, high integrated circuits, and flexible electronic fields.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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•Lignosulfonate (LS) was an excellent dispersant for hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) since its phenolic hydroxyl groups and three-dimensional structure.•Three-dimensional thermally ...conductive pathways were well built and optimized when the h-BN/cellulose nanofiber (CNF) ratio was 3:1 (w/w).•The through-plane thermal conductivity of LS-BN/CNF/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite was high up to 1.22 W/mK.•This LS-BN/CNF/PVA composite held great practical potentials in thermal interface materials as a key building block.
Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is an excellent thermally conductive and electrically insulative material. However, the formation of heat transfer pathways of h-BN in thermal interface materials is restricted due to its poor aqueous dispersity. Herein, water-soluble lignosulfonate (LS) is used to promote the dispersion of h-BN, the phenolic hydroxyl and three-dimensional structure of LS could form hydrogen bonding or steric hindrance with h-BN under ultrasound treatment. After mixing with cellulose nanofiber (CNF), the three-dimensional thermally conductive pathways are built in LS-BN/CNF aerogel through freeze-drying. The results show that the through-plane thermal conductivity of LS-BN/CNF/PVA composite with 0.2 wt% LS (LS0.2-BN/CNF/PVA) exceeds 1.22 W/mK when the h-BN/CNF ratio is 3:1 (w/w), which is 6.1-fold of that of PVA film (0.20 W/mK). The initial decomposition temperature and tensile strength of LS0.2-BN/CNF/PVA composite are 205 °C and 38.5 MPa, respectively, demonstrating acceptable thermal stability and mechanical properties for electronics as thermal interface and packing material. Overall, this work put forwards an effective approach to disperse h-BN and paves the way in developing high-performance thermal interface materials.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The continuous development of high electrical equipment towards high power output requires better heat dissipation performance of internal insulation structure. It challenges the traditional ...paper-based insulating materials, with poor thermal conductivity. Introducing thermally conductive and electrically insulating filler into cellulose-based insulating material can enhance heat conduction performance. This work provided a method to prepare thermally conductive and electrically insulating BN/cellulosic fibre composites. And the thermal conductivity of the composites was remarkably increased via grafting APTES and adding dual-sized fillers. The thermal conductivity of the composite reached 0.682 W/(m•k) that increased by 387% with h-BN loading of 41.08 wt%. Simultaneously, BN fillers improved the insulating properties of the resultant composites. The dielectric constant, breaking strength of and volume resistivity of the composites reached 4.75, 9.2 kV/mm-1 and 4.72×10(14) Ω•m, respectively. The resultant insulating material which has better heat conduction property may have a vast potential for future development in electrical equipment.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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•Novel comparative exploration on LCNF production from willow bark and wood.•LCNF made of willow bark using p-toluenesulfonic acid were very hydrophobic.•The origin of the unique ...hydrophobicity of willow bark LCNF was revealed.•Aromatic extractives and hydroxymethylfurfural condensed with lignin in the acid.•The potential of willow bark LCNF in making hydrophobic films was shown.
We conducted the first comparative exploration on lignin containing cellulose nanofibril films prepared alternatively from willow bark and wood using a highly recyclable acid hydrotrope, aqueous p-toluenesulfonic acid, as a sustainable means for isolating the nanofibrils. The nanofibrils of willow bark were hydrophobic and produced dense films of high strength under hot pressing. The hydrophobicity resulted from condensation of the residual lignin with low molecular weight aromatic substances of the bark and hydroxymethylfurfural formed in situ from fructose that is also present in the bark.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP