Increasing electromagnetic pollution calls for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials, especially sustainable, lightweight, and environmentally stable, biomass-based materials. MXene-coated wood (M/wood) is prepared by simply spraying MXene sheets on the wood surface. Varying this spray coating manipulates the shielding performance and its application to different wood species. The M/wood exhibits high electrical conductivity (sheet resistance is only 0.65 Ω/sq) with an excellent EMI shielding effectiveness of 31.1 dB at 8.2?~?12.4 GHz and is also fire retardant. Furthermore, waterborne acrylic resin (WA) is coated on M/wood to enhance environmental stability. The WA coating improves EMI shielding performance stability after water-soaking and drying testing and prevents the peeling of MXene from wood. These satisfactory properties of WA-M/wood and the facile manufacturing approach promote the feasibility of wood-based EMI shielding materials.
Graphical abstractThe complex anatomy of teeth limits the accessibility and efficacy of regenerative treatments. Therefore, the application of well-known inducers as injectable hydrogels for the regeneration of the dentin-pulp complex is considered a promising approach. In this regard, this study aimed to develop an injectable hydrogel containing mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). The injectable chitosan/oxidized-nanocrystalline cellulose/MTA (CS/OCNC/MTA) hydrogels were prepared, and the physicochemical properties of these hydrogels were evaluated by TGA, FTIR, Rheological analysis, and SEM. Moreover, the effect of MTA on the swelling and degradability of scaffolds was assessed. The proliferative effects of synthesized hydrogels were also determined on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) by MTT assay. For induction of differentiation and biomineralization in these cells, the alkaline phosphatase activity and Alizarin Red S staining tests were performed in the presence of fabricated scaffolds. The proliferation of hDPSCs was significantly increased in the presence of these hydrogels. Moreover, the addition of MTA to hydrogel structure dramatically improved the differentiation of hDPSCs. These results suggested that this novel injectable hydrogel provides appropriate physiochemical properties and can be considered a promising scaffold for regenerative endodontic procedures.
Graphical abstractLife-threatening diseases, especially those caused by pathogens and harmful ultraviolet radiation (UV-R), have triggered increasing demands for comfortable, antimicrobial, and UV-R protective clothing with a long service life. However, developing such textiles with exceptional wash durability is still challenging. Herein, we demonstrate how to fabricate wash durable multifunctional cotton textiles by growing in situ ZnO-TiO2 hybrid nanocrystals (NCs) on the surface of cellulosic fabrics. The ZnO-TiO2 hybrid NCs presented high functional efficiency, owing to their high charge transfer/separation. Ultrafine fiber surface pores, utilized as nucleating sites, endowed the uniform growth of NCs and their physical locking. The resulting fabrics presented excellent UV protection factors up to 54, displayed bactericidal efficiency of 100% against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and optimum self-cleaning efficacy. Moreover, the functionalized textiles exhibited robust washing durability, maintaining antibacterial and anti-UV-R efficiency even after 30 extensive washing cycles.
Graphical abstractCarbon quantum dots (CQDs) co-doped with N, P and S derived from expired milk was prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. By dipping pure cotton face towel (PCFT) into CQDs ink, a flexible all-biomass CQDs/PCFT sensor was prepared for the first time. Due to the heteroatom doping, extremely small particle size of CQDs and excellent permeability of CQDs/PCFT film, the flexible CQDs/PCFT sensor showed the high sensitivity and bending stability. In the range of 0–60° bending states, the responses of CQDs/PCFT sensor to four target analytes changed by less 5.0%. After 3000 bending of 60°, the maximum change of the response to the target analytes was only 6.4%. Interestingly, due to the abundant functional groups and defects of CQDs, the flexible CQDs/PCFT sensor displayed sensing curves of different shapes for different target analytes. In this way, by establishing a database of sensing curves of target analytes, multiple analytes can be detected discriminatively by relying only on single sensor with the help of image recognition. This work provided a reference for the development of cotton fiber based all biomass flexible gas sensor.
Graphical abstractThe development of a versatile platform that can separate oil/water mixture, remove dye from water, and purify wastewater is extremely desirable, yet still hard to realize. Herein, to address this challenge, a composite hydrogel was produced by freezing–thawing treatment using chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol, and carbon black as the raw materials. The obtained hydrogel displayed both slippery oil-repellency and water-affinity in air, underwater, when submerged in oil, and exploiting this special wettability, the hydrogel coated mesh can be used to separate oil/water mixtures efficiently. After 25 oil–water separation cycles, the hydrogel-coated filter still had a separation efficiency of over 98%. With its superhydrophilicity and active functional groups, the resulting hydrogel was able to absorb dye molecules dissolved in water effectively. Due to the photothermal effect of carbon black, the local temperature of the hydrogel was increasing quickly under sunlight illustration, which allowed it to be an advanced platform for daily wastewater purification through solar distillation.
Graphical abstractA versatile hydrogel platform for oil–water separation, dye adsorption, and domestic wastewater purification was developed.
Fabricating mechanically strong hydrogels that can withstand the conditions in internal tissues is a challenging task. We have designed hydrogels based on multicomponent systems by combining chitosan, starch/cellulose, PVA, and PEDOT:PSS via one-pot synthesis. The starch-based hydrogels were homogeneous, while the cellulose-based hydrogels showed the presence of cellulose micro- and nanofibers. The cellulose-based hydrogels demonstrated a swelling ratio between 121 and 156%, while the starch-based hydrogels showed higher values, from 234 to 280%. Tensile tests indicated that the presence of starch in the hydrogels provided high flexibility (strain at break?>?300%), while combination with cellulose led to the formation of stiffer hydrogels (elastic moduli 3.9–6.6 MPa). The ultimate tensile strength for both types of hydrogels was similar (2.8–3.9 MPa). The adhesion and growth of human osteoblast-like SAOS-2 cells was higher on hydrogels with cellulose than on hydrogels with starch, and was higher on hydrogels with PEDOT:PSS than on hydrogels without this polymer. The metabolic activity of cells cultivated for 3 days in the hydrogel infusions indicated that no acutely toxic compounds were released. This is promising for further possible applications of these hydrogels in tissue engineering or in wound dressings.
Graphical abstractIn this, an efficient flame retardant composite has been prepared using biowaste derived phosphorous groups decorated graphene supported nanomaterial. The eggshell was utilized as a source of calcium carbonate, which was converted to monocalcium phosphate (CP) by phosphoric acid treatment. As-prepared monocalcium phosphate was functionalized with graphene to prepare graphene functionalized monocalcium phosphate (GCP). The GCP-coated fabric didn't ignite during the flame test and sustained more than 600 s on continuous exposure to flame without changing its initial length and shape. Whereas, graphene oxide (GO), and CP coated cotton fabric burnt out very easily within a short time. The efficient flame retardant property of as synthesized GCP coated cotton fabric was confirmed with a high limiting oxygen index (34.1) and char length of 2.5 cm was generated from the VFT test. The synthesized GCP coated cotton fabric also confirmed efficient flame retardant properties. This facile method enables an easy process for mass production of cost-effective, bio-waste derived nanomaterial for a significantly highly efficient candidate for different applications in sustainable chemistry, including flame-retardant applications.
Graphical abstractThe surgical masks have been essential consumables for public in the COVID-19 pandemic. However, long-time wearing masks will make wearers feel uncomfortable and massive discarded non-biodegradable masks lead to a heavy burden on our environment. In this paper, we adopt degradable chitosan@silver (CS@Ag) core–shell fibers and plant fibers to prepare an eco-friendly mask with excellent thermal comfort, self-sterilization, and antiviral effects. The thermal network of CS@Ag core–shell fibers highly improves the in-plane thermal conductivity of masks, which is 4.45 times higher than that of commercial masks. Because of the electrical conductivity of Ag, the fabricated mask can be electrically heated to warm the wearer in a cold environment and disinfect COVID-19 facilely at room temperature. Meanwhile, the in-situ reduced silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) endow the mask with superior antibacterial properties. Therefore, this mask shows a great potential to address the urgent need for a thermally comfortable, antibacterial, antiviral, and eco-friendly mask.
Graphical abstractThe dry pulp direct kneading method is an industrially viable, low-energy process for manufacturing cellulose nanofiber (CNF)-reinforced polymer composites, where the chemically modified pulps are nanofibrillated and uniformly dispersed in the polymer matrix during melt compounding. In the present study, cellulose fibers of various sizes ranging from surface-fibrillated pulps (20 μm in width) to fine CNFs (20 nm in width) were prepared from softwood bleached kraft pulps using a refiner and a high-pressure homogenizer. These cellulose fibers were modified with alkenyl succinic anhydride and dried. The dried fibers were used as a feed material for melt compounding in the dry pulp direct kneading method to fabricate CNF-reinforced high-density polyethylene (HDPE). When surface-fibrillated pulps were employed as a feed material, the pulps were nanofibrillated and dispersed uniformly in the HDPE matrix during melt compounding. The resulting composites had much better properties—i.e., much higher tensile modulus and strength values, and much lower coefficient of thermal expansion values—than the composites produced using pulps without pre-fibrillation. However, when CNFs were used as a feed material, they were shortened and agglomerated during melt compounding, and the properties of the composites consequently deteriorated. The study concludes that surface-fibrillated pulp, which can be produced cost-effectively using a refiner on an industrial scale, is more suitable as a feed material than CNFs for melt compounding in the dry pulp direct kneading method. This finding enables the elimination of a preliminary step in the preparation of CNFs from pulps, which is a time-consuming and energy-intensive process.
Graphical abstractMultifunctional materials for water purification have attracted significant attention due to the increased water pollution problems. However, fabricating the low-cost, effective, and recyclable separation material for wastewater containing various hazardous substances is still a challenge. Herein, we developed an Ag/TiO2@PDMS coated cotton fabric with self-cleaning ability, high flux, superior visible-light photocatalytic ability, and recyclability via the “powder?+?glue” strategy. The composites are superhydrophobic (water contact angle 157°) and show high separation efficiency. After 20 times of repeated use, the separation efficiency remains 16,322 Lm?2 h?1, and methylene blue (MB) 's degradation rate remains almost unchanged. The high oil purification, catalytic property, excellent stability in harsh conditions, and recyclability enable the material as a satisfactory candidate for water purification.
Graphical abstractA variety of liquid energy exists in papermaking engineering and has not yet been developed and utilized. In addition, for the papermaking industry, the presence of slime can seriously affect the quality of the finished paper and can lead to paper breaking. The current slime control strategies cannot completely solve the problem and also have some low toxicity. In this study, a method of self-powered sterilization of cellulose fibers by using triboelectric pulsed direct current is reported. A liquid–solid triboelectric nanogenerator (L–S TENG) was used to convert the liquid energy of nanocellulose suspension into electrical energy and convert this electrical energy into pulsed direct current for self-powered sterilization of cellulose fiber. A hydrophobic coating material is used as solid triboelectric material and electrode for sterilization. Driven by L–S TENG, the electrodes exhibited an excellent sterilization rate against four microorganisms including Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which from slime in the papermaking industry. This study could provide a basic research theory for liquid energy harvesting in the papermaking industry, and also provide a new strategy for pulp sterilization.
Graphical abstractWearable flexible sensors with quick response time and high stability are required in the fields of human motion detection, personal health monitoring, and artificial electronic skin. However, their design remains a challenge. To address this need, we fabricate a piezoresistive sensor with a wide detection limit, fast response time, and excellent stability in this work. Nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) films are deposited on cotton fabric (CF) by in-situ polymerization of polyaniline (PANI) using magnetic filtration cathode vacuum arc deposition technology to obtain copper/polyaniline cotton (Cu/PANI/CF) and nickel/polyaniline cotton (Ni/PANI/CF). The pressure sensor is then fabricated by self-assembly. The proposed pressure sensor has a wide detection limit (0–180 kPa), rapid response time (30 ms), high cycle stability (>5000), and can detect the movement of each joint of the human body (such as the knee, finger, elbow, etc.). The sensor can also monitor different facial micro-expressions, including smiles and blinking. Based on the practical application of human motion signals and the detection of subtle stress, the proposed sensor demonstrates significant potential as a wearable electronic product for health monitoring.
Graphical abstractThere are growing research interests in flax fibers due to their renewable ‘green’ origin and high strength. However, these natural fibers easily absorb moisture and have poor adhesion with polymer matrix leading to low interfacial strength for the composites. A hybrid chemical treatment technique combining alkali (sodium hydroxide) and silane treatments is adopted in the current study to modify flax fibers for improved performances of flax/polypropylene composites. Changes in chemical composition, microstructure, wettability, surface morphology, crystallinity and tensile properties of single flax fiber before and after chemical treatments were comprehensively characterized using techniques including SEM, FTIR, AFM, XRD, micro-fiber tester, etc. It was found that hemicellulose and lignin at the fiber surface were removed due to alkali treatment, which helped to reduce moisture absorption of the composites. Alkali-treated flax fibers were later subjected to silane treatment, which helped to improve the compatibility between flax fiber and polypropylene matrix. After alkali-silane hybrid chemical treatment, moisture absorption of the composites was further decreased. At the same time, the interfacial bonding strength between flax and polypropylene is significantly enhanced. All these results validate the great advantage of the hybrid chemical treatment approach for flax/polypropylene composites, which has the potential to promote the application of chemical treatment techniques in the plant fiber composite industry.
Graphic abstractIn this paper, we developed a microbial route to fabricate wood-inspired biomimetic composites comparable to natural wood. Focusing on the chemical composition of woody biomass, we performed in situ bioprocessing of bacterial cellulose (BC) imbibed in modified cationic lignin (Catlig), which exhibited significant bioactivity in improving the microbial growth dynamics. The structural and morphological characteristics were enhanced by the formation of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions between BC and Catlig during biosynthesis. Microbially derived BC/Catlig composites exhibited enhanced thermal stability and crystallinity, with oriented cellulose fibers. The tensile properties, toughness, and specific strength of BC/Catlig composites were comparable to those of a heavy wood species (Zelkova serrata) under hydrated conditions and synthetic soft materials.
Graphic abstractMembrane applications for the separation of surfactant-stabilized emulsions are often constrained by a deficiency in permeability and anti-fouling properties. Herein, special wetted cotton fabric with a protective layer (P-MH@CF) for durable anti-fouling performance was synthesized by a two-step method, which was related to interfacial ion migration technology and unilateral spraying treatment. Permeability of water and separation performance of P-MH@CF membrane were investigated systematically. Emulsions stabilized by anionic, cationic, or non-ionic surfactant were successfully separated with high efficiency. In the process of separation, the oil droplets surrounded by surfactants were difficult to demulsify and gathered physically on the membrane surface to form a “cream layer”. The stearic acid acted as a protective layer, like a quilt, protecting the membrane from contamination. The membrane retained robust reusability for separation even after the “cream layer” had been washed off, which was promising for the remediation of oily wastewater containing surfactants.
Graphical abstractSurface modification of fabrics is a powerful strategy that can endow fabrics with desired effects while keeping the intrinsic properties. Herein, an ordinary strategy, dipping-drying based layer-by-layer self-assembly (LbL) coating, is reported to functionalize fabrics’ surfaces. Firstly, the novel cation waterborne polyurethanes (QAHDPU) and anion waterborne polyurethanes (HDPU) are successfully designed and synthesized. By incorporating targeted molecule, hydantoin diol (HD) and quaternary ammonium salt with long alkyl chain (DOQA), the QAHDPU are antibacterial and hydrophobically functionalized. Taking advantage of strong adhesion, waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) are physically bonded to surfaces of fabrics to generate durable antibacterial and hydrophobic fabrics. The QAHDPU with long alkyl chain combined with rough and porous fabric surface fabricates hydrophobic fabric surface, which can prevent bacteria from adhering to the fabrics. Furthermore, the coated fabrics present excellent antibacterial properties after chlorination, forming a second barrier against bacteria. The chlorinated coated fabrics, can inactivate 85.0–99.9% of Staphylococcus aureus and 85.0–97.7% of Escherichia coli with contact time of 60 min. The hydrophobic properties of coated fabrics are greatly improved with water contact angles of 122.0°–141.1°. In addition, the proposed method is applicable for a variety of fibers and expected to be used for industrial production.
Graphical abstractCellulose nanofibril (CNF) aerogels have attracted great interests in recent years due to the low cost, sustainability and biocompatibility of raw CNF. However, the poor thermal stability and flammable feature of CNF aerogels have limited their wider applications. In this paper, polydopamine/CNF composite aerogels with good comprehensive properties are fabricated by modification of CNF with polydopamine and metal coordination bonds crosslinking. The microstructure and properties of composite aerogels are thoroughly characterized by a variety of tests. It is found that the microstructure of aerogels are more regular and the compressive strength of aerogels are enhanced by the incorporation of polydopamine and Fe3+ crosslinking. Importantly, the thermal stability and flame resistance of aerogels are significantly improved, which permit the application of composite aerogels in high-temperature thermal insulation. In addition, the reversible characteristic of metal coordination bonds allows the water induced healing of fractured composite aerogels. This study is expected to provide information for future development of green and high-performance aerogels.
Graphic abstractThis study introduces an effective route to fabricate chitosan (CS)-based film. The films were prepared through cross-linking reaction between CS and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) using epichlorohydrin (ECH) as the cross-linker and simultaneously in-situ loading with CuO nanoparticles. FT-IR and loading efficiency results indicated the occurrence of inter- and intra-molecular cross-linking reaction between CS and HEC. XRD and EDS analyses showed that the CuO nanoparticles were evenly deposited onto CS film matrixes. SEM characterization showed that the films were of compact, dense and uniform cross morphologies, as well as obvious voids. The films also exhibited desired swelling ratio and water vapor permeability. The enhanced tensile strength was obtained with a maximum value of 77.02?±?3.26 MPa, while the stretch-ability slightly decreased. The thermal stability of the films decreased after cross-linking with HEC. The antibacterial ability of the films was generally improved with the increase of HEC and ECH contents.
Graphical abstractPreparation and properties of epichlorohydrin-cross-linked chitosan/hydroxyethyl cellulose based CuO nanocomposite films
This study prepared a waterproof cellulose nanofibril (CNF) sheet via the deposition of an alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) on the sheet’s controlled porous structure. The porosity of the CNF sheet was controlled by drying under different conditions, which included hot-press drying (HD) and solvent-exchange drying (SD), and the effect on the hydrophobization and water-related barrier performance of the sheet were investigated. When the SD sheet was immersed in an AKD wax solution, the sheet exhibited super-hydrophobicity and a lower water vapor transmission rate, compared with the HD sheet. This indicated that the porous structure of the SD sheet enabled AKD to be adsorbed on both the surface and the inner surface and it filled in the pores of the sheet, thereby giving rise to excellent waterproofing properties. The performance of a hydrophobized SD sheet as a water barrier material was comparable to a linear low-density polyethylene film. This study confirms the possibility for AKD wax to be immersed in a porous CNF sheet and used as a potential barrier material in hydrogel packaging.
Graphical abstractVulcanized fibers are all-cellulose materials made from cotton and/or wood cellulose after aqueous zinc chloride treatment. These materials were invented in the UK in the mid-nineteenth century and is widely used because of their excellent characteristics, such as impact resistance and electrical insulation. Recently the matured vulcanized fibers have been recognized as renewable and biodegradable materials and reevaluated with advanced cellulose technologies derived from cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and all-cellulose composites. The microscopic analysis based on the improved freeze-drying method revealed that the strength of vulcanized fiber sheets can be attributed to the chemically defibrillated CNFs. The architecture is similar to all-cellulose composites made from the same raw materials in which the residual cellulose fibers serve as reinforcement, and the CNFs serve as adhesives or matrix components. In this report, we describe the history and structural characteristics of vulcanized fibers and introduce a new aspect in aqueous zinc chloride treatment of cellulose.
Graphical abstract