Perovskite-Nanocrystal-Doped Cellulose Nanocrystal Ligands for Electrospun Nanofibers with Excellent Stability

Because of their exceptional physical and thermal properties, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are a highly promising bio-based material for reinforcing fillers. Studies have revealed that some functional groups from CNCs can be used as a capping ligand to coordinate with metal nanoparticles or semiconductor quantum dots during the fabrication of novel complex materials. Therefore, through CNCs ligand encapsulation and electrospinning, perovskite-NC-embedded nanofibers with exceptional optical and thermal stability are demonstrated. The results indicate that, after continuous irradiation or heat cycling, the relative photoluminescence (PL) emission intensity of the CNCs-capped perovskite-NC-embedded nanofibers is maintained at ≈90%. However, the relative PL emission intensity of both ligand-free and long-alkyl-ligand-doped perovskite-NC-embedded nanofibers decrease to almost 0%. These results are attributable to the formation of specific clusters of perovskite NCs along with the CNCs structure and thermal property improvement of polymers. CNCs-doped luminous complex materials offer a promising avenue for stability-demanding optoelectronic devices and other novel optical applications.

All-oil Constructs Stabilized by Cellulose Nanocrystal Surfactants

Constructing all-oil systems with desired geometries and responsiveness would produce a new class of reconfigurable materials that can be used for applications that are not compatible with water or aqueous systems, a fascinating goal to achieve but severely limited by the lack of surfactants. Here, we demonstrate an efficient strategy to stabilize oil-oil interfaces by using the co-assembly between the cellulose nanocrystal and amine-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS-NH₂). Cellulose nanocrystal surfactants (CNCSs) form and assemble in situ at the interface, showing significantly enhanced binding energy and acid-dependent interfacial activity. When CNCSs jam at the interface, a robust assembly with exceptional mechanical properties can be achieved, allowing the 3D printing of all-oil devices on demand. Using CNCSs as emulsifiers, oil-in-oil high internal phase emulsions can be prepared by one-step homogenization and, when used as templates, porous materials that require water-sensitive monomers can be synthesized. These results open a new platform for stabilizing and structuring all-oil systems, providing numerous applications for microreactors, encapsulation, delivery, and tissue engineering scaffolds.

Cellulose Nanocrystals Induced Loose and Porous Graphite Phase Carbon Nitride/Porous Carbon Composites for Capturing and Determining of Organochlorine Pesticides from Water and Fruit Juice by Solid-Phase Microextraction

Herein, novel, loose, and porous graphite phase carbon nitride/porous carbon (g-C₃N₄@PC) composites were prepared by decorating cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). The characterization results demonstrate that the as-prepared composites presented high specific surface areas, porous structures, and abundant chemical groups, with the modification of CNCs. In view of the unique advantages, g-C₃N₄@PC was used as the coating material for the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in water and juice samples. The g-C₃N₄@PC-coated fibers showed better extraction efficiencies than commercial fibers (100/7 μm PDMS and PA) toward the OCPs, with the enrichment factors of the g-C₃N₄@PC-coated fibers 5-30 times higher than the latter. Using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) instrument, the g-C₃N₄@PC-coated fibers exhibited a gratifying analytical performance for determining low concentrations of OCPs, with a wide linear range (0.1-1600 ng L^-1 for water; 0.1-1000 ng L^-1 for juice), low limits of detection (0.0141-0.0942 ng L^-1 for water; 0.0245-0.0777 ng L^-1 for juice), and good reproducibility and repeatability in optimal conditions. The established method showed good sensitivity and recovery in the determination of OCPs in the water and fruit juice samples, which displayed broad prospects for analyzing organic pollutants from environmental samples.

3D Printing-Assisted Self-Assembly to Bio-Inspired Bouligand Nanostructures

Architected materials with nano/microscale orders can provide superior mechanical properties; however, reproducing such levels of ordering in complex structures has remained challenging. Inspired by Bouligand structures in nature, here, 3D printing of complex geometries with guided long-order radially twisted chiral hierarchy, using cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)-based inks is presented. Detailed rheological measurements, in situ flow analysis, polarized optical microscopy (POM), and director field analysis are employed to evaluate the chiral assembly over the printing process. It is demonstrated that shear flow forces inside the 3D printer's nozzle orient individual CNC particles forming a pseudo-nematic phase that relaxes to uniformly aligned concentric chiral nematic structures after the flow cessation. Acrylamide, a photo-curable monomer, is incorporated to arrest the concentric chiral arrangements within the printed filaments. The time series POM snapshots show that adding the photo-curable monomer at the optimized concentrations does not interfere with chiral self-assemblies and instead increases the chiral relaxation rate. Due to the liquid-like nature of the as-printed inks, optimized Carbopol microgels are used to support printed filaments before photo-polymerization. By paving the path towards developing bio-inspired materials with nanoscale hierarchies in larger-scale printed constructs, this biomimetic approach expands 3D printing materials beyond what has been realized so far.

Part B: Improvement of the Optical Properties of Cellulose Nanocrystals Reinforced Thermoplastic Starch Bio-Composite Films by Ex Situ Incorporation of Green Silver Nanoparticles from Chaetomorpha linum

The study was used in the context of realigning novel low-cost materials for their better and improved optical properties. Emphasis was placed on the bio-nanocomposite approach for producing cellulose/starch/silver nanoparticle films. These polymeric films were produced using the solution casting technique followed by the thermal evaporation process. The structural model of the bio-composite films (CS:CL-CNC7:3-50%) was developed from our previous study. Subsequently, in order to improve the optical properties of bio-composite films, bio-nanocomposites were prepared by incorporating silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) ex situ at various concentrations (5-50% w/w). Characterization was conducted using UV-Visible (UV-Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) to understand the structure-property relationships. The FTIR analysis indicated a reduction in the number of waves associated with the OH functional groups by adding AgNPs due to the formation of new hydrogen bonds between the bio-composite matrix and the CL-WE-AgNPs. Based on mathematical equations, the optical bandgap energy, the energy of Urbach, the edge of absorption (Ed), and the carbon clusters (N) were estimated for CS:CL-CNC and CS:CL-CNC-AgNPs (5-50%) nanocomposite films. Furthermore, the optical bandgap values were shifted to the lower photon energy from 3.12 to 2.58 eV by increasing the AgNPs content, which indicates the semi-conductor effect on the composite system. The decrease in Urbach's energy is the result of a decrease in the disorder of the biopolymer matrix and/or attributed to an increase in crystalline size. In addition, the cluster carbon number increased from 121.56 to 177.75, respectively, from bio-composite to bio-nanocomposite with 50% AgNPs. This is due to the presence of a strong H-binding interaction between the bio-composite matrix and the AgNPs molecules. The results revealed that the incorporation of 20% AgNPs into the CS:CL-CNC7:3-50% bio-composite film could be the best candidate composition for all optical properties. It can be used for potential applications in the area of food packaging as well as successfully on opto-electronic devices.

Nanotechnology Applied to Cellulosic Materials

In recent years, nanocellulosic materials have attracted special attention because of their performance in different advanced applications, biodegradability, availability, and biocompatibility. Nanocellulosic materials can assume three distinct morphologies, including cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), cellulose nanofibers (CNF), and bacterial cellulose (BC). This review consists of two main parts related to obtaining and applying nanocelluloses in advanced materials. In the first part, the mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic treatments necessary for the production of nanocelluloses are discussed. Among chemical pretreatments, the most common approaches are described, such as acid- and alkali-catalyzed organosolvation, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation, ammonium persulfate (APS) and sodium persulfate (SPS) oxidative treatments, ozone, extraction with ionic liquids, and acid hydrolysis. As for mechanical/physical treatments, methods reviewed include refining, high-pressure homogenization, microfluidization, grinding, cryogenic crushing, steam blasting, ultrasound, extrusion, aqueous counter collision, and electrospinning. The application of nanocellulose focused, in particular, on triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) with CNC, CNF, and BC. With the development of TENGs, an unparalleled revolution is expected; there will be self-powered sensors, wearable and implantable electronic components, and a series of other innovative applications. In the future new era of TENGs, nanocellulose will certainly be a promising material in their constitution.

Sustainable, Insoluble, and Photonic Cellulose Nanocrystal Patches for Calcium Ion Sensing in Sweat

Self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) is invaluable for the development of sustainable optics and photonics. However, the functional failure of CNC-derived materials in humid or liquid environments inevitably impairs their development in biomedicine, membrane separation, environmental monitoring, and wearable devices. Here, a facile and robust method to fabricate insoluble hydrogels in a self-assembled CNC-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) system is reported. Due to the reconstruction of inter- or intra-molecular hydrogen bond interactions, thermal dehydration makes an optimized CNC/PVA photonic film form a stable hydrogel network in an aqueous solution rather than dissolve. Notably, the resulting hydrogel exhibits superb mechanical performance (stress up to 3.3 Mpa and tough up to 0.73 MJ m^-3 ) and reversible conversion between dry and wet states, enabling it convenient for specific functionalization. Sodium alginate (SA) can be adsorbed into the CNC photonic structure by swelling dry CNC/PVA film in a SA solution. The prepared hydrogel showcases the comprehensive properties of freezing resistance (-20°C), strong adhesion, satisfactory biocompatibility, and highly sensitive and selective Ca²⁺ sensing. The material could act as a portable wearable patch on the skin for the continuous analysis of calcium trends during different physical exercises, facilitating their development in precision nutrition and health monitoring.

Highly Stretchable and Stimulus-Free Self-Healing Hydrogels with Multiple Signal Detection Performance for Self-Powered Wearable Temperature Sensors

A flexible wearable temperature sensor is a novel electronic sensor that can monitor real-time changes in human body temperature in a variety of application scenarios and is regarded as the "crown jewel" of information collection technology. Although flexible strain sensors based on hydrogels have excellent self-healing effects and mechanical durability, their widespread application is still limited by external power sources. Herein, a novel self-energizing hydrogel was developed by embellishing cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The resultant thermoelectrically conductive CNC was then employed as a booster for poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/borax hydrogels. The obtained hydrogels exhibit remarkable self-healing performance (92.57%) and exceptional stretchability (989.60%). Additionally, the hydrogel was capable of accurately and reliably identifying human motion. Most importantly, it exhibits excellent thermoelectric performance, capable of generating stable and reproducible voltages. It shows a large Seebeck coefficient of 1.31 mV k^-1 at ambient temperatures. When subjected to a temperature difference of 25 K, the output voltage reaches 31.72 mV. CNC-PEDOT:PSS/PVA conductive hydrogel is multifunctional with self-healing, self-powering, and temperature sensing, which has the potential to be used for the preparation of intelligent wearable temperature-sensing devices.

Mechanically Responsive Circularly Polarized Luminescence from Cellulose-Nanocrystal-Based Shape-Memory Polymers

Stimulus-responsive materials that display circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) have attracted great attention for application in chiral sensors and smart displays. However, due to difficulties in the regulation of chiral structures, fine control of CPL remains a challenge. Here, it is demonstrated that cellulose nanocrystal shape-memory polymers (CNC-SMPs) with luminescent components enable mechanically responsive CPL. The chiral nematic organization of CNCs in the material gives rise to a photonic bandgap. By manipulating the photonic bandgap or luminescence wavelengths of the luminescent CNC-SMPs, precise control of CPL emission with varied wavelengths and high dissymmetry factors (g_lum ) is achieved. Specifically, CPL emission can be switched reversibly by treating the luminescent CNC-SMPs with hot-pressing and recovery by heating. Pressure-responsive CPL with tunable g_lum values is ascribed to the pressure-responsive photonic bandgaps. Moreover, colorimetric and CPL-active patterns are created by imprinting desired forms into SMP samples. This study demonstrates a novel way to fabricate smart CPL systems using biomaterials.

Cellulose nanocrystal functionalized aramid nanofiber reinforced epoxy nanocomposites with high strength and toughness

The mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites can be improved by incorporating various types of nanofillers. The hybridization of nanofillers through covalent linkages between nanofillers with different dimensions and morphology can further increase the properties of nanocomposites. In this work, aramid nanofibers (ANFs) are modified using chlorinated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and functionalized with 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane to improve the chemical and mechanical interaction in an epoxy matrix. The integration of CNC functionalized ANFs (fACs) in the epoxy matrix simultaneously improves Young's modulus, tensile strength, fracture properties, and viscoelastic properties. The test results show that 1.5 wt% fAC reinforced epoxy nanocomposites improve Young's modulus and tensile strength by 15.1% and 10.1%, respectively, and also exhibit 2.5 times higher fracture toughness compared to the reference epoxy resin. Moreover, the glass transition temperature and storage modulus are found to increase when fACs are incorporated. Thus, this study demonstrates that the enhanced chemical and mechanical interaction by the CNC functionalization on the ANFs can further improve the static and dynamic mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites.

Writing 3D In Vitro Models of Human Tendon within a Biomimetic Fibrillar Support Platform

Tendinopathies are poorly understood diseases for which treatment remains challenging. Relevant in vitro models to study human tendon physiology and pathophysiology are therefore highly needed. Here we propose the automated 3D writing of tendon microphysiological systems (MPSs) embedded in a biomimetic fibrillar support platform based on cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) self-assembly. Tendon decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) was used to formulate bioinks that closely recapitulate the biochemical signature of tendon niche. A monoculture system recreating the cellular patterns and phenotype of the tendon core was first developed and characterized. This system was then incorporated with a vascular compartment to study the crosstalk between the two cell populations. The combined biophysical and biochemical cues of the printed pattern and dECM hydrogel were revealed to be effective in inducing human-adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) differentiation toward the tenogenic lineage. In the multicellular system, chemotactic effects promoted endothelial cells migration toward the direction of the tendon core compartment, while the established cellular crosstalk boosted hASCs tenogenesis, emulating the tendon development stages. Overall, the proposed concept is a promising strategy for the automated fabrication of humanized organotypic tendon-on-chip models that will be a valuable new tool for the study of tendon physiology and pathogenesis mechanisms and for testing new tendinopathy treatments.

Morphological, Spectroscopic and Thermal Analysis of Cellulose Nanocrystals Extracted from Waste Jute Fiber by Acid Hydrolysis

Natural cellulose, a sustainable bioresource, is highly abundant in nature. Cellulosic materials, particularly those that explore and employ such materials for industrial use, have recently attracted significant global attention in the field of material science because of the unique properties of cellulose. The hydroxyl groups enable the formation of intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bonding and the arrangement of cellulose chains in a highly ordered crystalline zone, with the remaining disordered structure referred to as an amorphous region. The crystalline areas of cellulose are well-known as cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). In the present study, we extracted CNCs from pure cellulose isolated from waste jute fibers by sulfuric acid hydrolysis, followed by characterization. Pure cellulose was isolated from jute fibers by treating with sodium hydroxide (20% w/w) and anthraquinone (0.5%) solution at 170 °C for 2 h, followed by bleaching with chlorine dioxide and hydrogen peroxide solution. CNCs were isolated from pure cellulose by treating with different concentrations (58% to 62%) of sulfuric acid at different time intervals (20 min to 45 min). The FTIR study of the CNCs reveals no peak at 1738 cm^-1, which confirms the absence of hemicellulose in the samples. The CNCs obtained after 45 min of acid hydrolysis are rod-shaped, having an average length of 800 ± 100 nm and width of 55 ± 10 nm, with a high crystallinity index (90%). Zeta potential significantly increased due to the attachment of SO₄^2- ions on the surface of CNC from -1.0 mV to about -30 mV, with the increment of the reaction time from 20 min to 45 min, which proved the higher stability of CNC suspension. Crystallinity increased from 80% to 90% when the reaction time was increased from 20 to 45 min, respectively, while a crystallite size from 2.705 to 4.56 nm was obtained with an increment of the acid concentration. Acid hydrolysis enhanced crystallinity but attenuated the temperature corresponding to major decomposition (Tmax) at 260 °C and the beginning of degradation (Ti) at 200 °C due to the attachment of SO₄^2- ions on the surface, which decreased the thermal stability of CNC. The second degradation at 360 °C indicated the stable crystal structure of CNC. The endothermic peak at 255 °C in the DTA study provided evidence of sulfated nanocrystal decomposition and the recrystallization of cellulose I to cellulose II, the most stable structure among the other four celluloses. The proposed easy-to-reproduce method can successfully and efficiently produce CNCs from waste jute fibers in a straightforward way.

Part A: Biodegradable Bio-Composite Film Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystals from Chaetomorpha linum into Thermoplastic Starch Matrices

In recent years, macroalgae and microalgae have played a significant role in the production of organic matter, fiber, and minerals on Earth. They contribute to both technical and medicinal applications as well as being a healthy and nutritious food for humans and animals. The theme of this work concerns the development and exploitation of Chaetomorpha linum (C. linum) biomass, through the elaboration of a new starch-based composite film reinforced by cellulose nanocrystals (CL-CNC) derived from C. linum. The first step involves the chemical extraction of CL-CNC from dry C. linum algae biomass. To achieve this, three types of cyclic treatment were adopted: alkalinization (sodium hydroxide) followed by bleaching (sodium hypochlorite) and acid hydrolysis (hydrochloric acid). We then studied the optimization of the development of bio-composite films based on corn starch (CS) reinforced by CL-CNC. These polymeric films were produced using the solution-casting technique followed by the thermal evaporation process. Structure and interactions were modified by using different amounts of glycerol plasticizers (20% and 50%) and different CS:CNC ratios (7:3 and 8:2). These materials were characterized by UV visible (UV/Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) spectroscopy to understand structure-property relationships. The result revealed that the best matrix composition is 7:3 (CS: CL-CNC) with 50% glycerol, which reflects that the reinforcing effect of CL-CNC was greater in bio-composites prepared with a 50% plasticizer, revealing the formation of hydrogen bonds between CL-CNC and CS.

The Influence of Cellulose Nanocrystal Characteristics on Regenerative Silk Composite Fiber Properties

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), obtained from natural resources, possess great potential as a bioderived reinforcement for natural-fiber-reinforced composites (NFRPs) due to their superior crystallinity and high aspect ratio. To elucidate the specific parameters of CNCs that significantly affect their mechanical performance, various CNCs were investigated to fabricate high-performance nanocomposite fibers together with regenerated silk fibroin (RSF). We confirmed that the high aspect ratio (~9) of the CNCs was the critical factor to increase the tensile strength and stiffness rather than the crystallinity. At a 1 vol% of CNCs, the strength and stiffness reached ~300 MPa and 10.5 GPa, respectively, which was attributed not only to a stable dispersion but also to alignment. This approach has the potential to evaluate the parameters of natural reinforcement and may also be useful in constructing high-performance NFRPs.

Cellulose Nanocrystal-Based All-3D-Printed Pyro-Piezoelectric Nanogenerator for Hybrid Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Cardiorespiratory Monitoring toward the Human-Machine Interface

Biomaterials with spontaneous piezoelectric property are highly emerging in recent times for the generation of electricity from mechanical energy sources that are amply available in nature. In this context, pyroelectricity, an integral property of piezoelectric materials, might be an interesting tool in harvesting thermal energy from the fluctuations of temperature. On the other hand, respiration and heart pulse are the significant human vital signs that can be used for early detection and prevention of cardiorespiratory diseases. Here, we report an all-three-dimensional (3D)-printed pyro-piezoelectric nanogenerator (Py-PNG) based on the most abundant and completely biodegradable biopolymer on earth, i.e., cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) for hybrid (mechanical as well as thermal) energy harvesting, and interestingly, the NG could be used as an e-skin sensor for application in self-powered noninvasive cardiorespiratory monitoring for personal healthcare. Notably, the CNC-based device will be biocompatible and economically advantageous due to its biomaterial-based supremacy and huge availability. This is an original approach with 3D geometrical advancement in designing a NG/sensor, where the unique all-3D-printed manner is adopted, and certainly, it has promising potential in reducing the number of processing steps to required equipment during the multilayer fabrication. The all-3D-printed NG/sensor shows outstanding mechano-thermal energy harvesting performance along with sensitivity and is capable of accurate detection of heart pulse as well as respiration, whenever and whichever required without the need of any battery or an external power supply. In addition, we have also extended its application in demonstrating a smart mask-based breath monitoring system. Thus, the real-time cardiorespiratory monitoring provides notable and fascinating information in medical diagnosis, stepping toward biomedical device development and human-machine interface.

Waste Orange Peels as a Source of Cellulose Nanocrystals and Their Use for the Development of Nanocomposite Films

To date, approximately 30-50% of food is wasted from post-harvesting to consumer usage. Typical examples of food by-products are fruit peels and pomace, seeds, and others. A large part of these matrices is still discarded in landfills, while a small portion is valorized for bioprocessing. In this context, a feasible strategy to valorize food by-products consists of their use for the production of bioactive compounds and nanofillers, which can be further used to functionalize biobased packaging materials. The focus of this research was to create an efficient methodology for the extraction of cellulose from leftover orange peel after juice processing and for its conversion into cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) for use in bionanocomposite films for packaging materials. Orange CNCs were characterized by TEM and XRD analyses and added as reinforcing agents into chitosan/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (CS/HPMC) films enriched with lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE). It was evaluated how CNCs and LAE affected the technical and functional characteristics of CS/HPMC films. CNCs revealed needle-like shapes with an aspect ratio of 12.5, and average length and width of 500 nm and 40 nm, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy confirmed the high compatibility of the CS/HPMC blend with CNCs and LAE. The inclusion of CNCs increased the films' tensile strength, light barrier, and water vapor barrier properties while reducing their water solubility. The addition of LAE improved the films' flexibility and gave them biocidal efficacy against the main bacterial pathogens that cause foodborne illness, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica.

Biocompatible, Resilient, and Tough Nanocellulose Tunable Hydrogels

Hydrogels have been proposed as potential candidates for many different applications. However, many hydrogels exhibit poor mechanical properties, which limit their applications. Recently, various cellulose-derived nanomaterials have emerged as attractive candidates for nanocomposite-reinforcing agents due to their biocompatibility, abundance, and ease of chemical modification. Due to abundant hydroxyl groups throughout the cellulose chain, the grafting of acryl monomers onto the cellulose backbone by employing oxidizers such as cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate ([NH₄]₂[Ce(NO₃)₆], CAN) has proven a versatile and effective method. Moreover, acrylic monomers such as acrylamide (AM) may also polymerize by radical methods. In this work, cerium-initiated graft polymerization was applied to cellulose-derived nanomaterials, namely cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), in a polyacrylamide (PAAM) matrix to fabricate hydrogels that display high resilience (~92%), high tensile strength (~0.5 MPa), and toughness (~1.9 MJ/m³). We propose that by introducing mixtures of differing ratios of CNC and CNF, the composite's physical behavior can be fine-tuned across a wide range of mechanical and rheological properties. Moreover, the samples proved to be biocompatible when seeded with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-transfected mouse fibroblasts (3T3s), showing a significant increase in cell viability and proliferation compared to samples comprised of acrylamide alone.

Sustainable Protocols for Cellulose Nanocrystals Synthesis from Tomato Waste and Their Antimicrobial Properties against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato

Nanotechnology is rapidly gaining ground in crop protection, with the growing quest for sustainable nanopesticides and nanocarriers for plant pathogen management. Among them, cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are emerging as innovative agrofood-waste-derived antimicrobial materials. In this work, new chemical and enzymatic CNC extraction methods from tomato harvest residues were evaluated. The obtained nanomaterials were characterized and tested for their antimicrobial properties on Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pto), the causal agent of bacterial speck disease on tomato. Both protocols were efficient. The enzymatic extraction method was greener, producing purer CNC at slightly lower yield. The obtained CNC, although they weakly inhibited cell growth and did not promote reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, provoked bacterial aggregation and the inhibition of biofilm production and swimming motility. Both protocols produced CNC with similar morpho-chemical features, as well as promising antimicrobial activity against plant bacterial pathogens, suggesting their potential role in sustainable crop protection strategies. The new protocols could be a valuable alternative to conventional methods.

Cellulose Nanocrystal Gels with Tunable Mechanical Properties from Hybrid Thermal Strategies

Gels are useful materials for drug delivery, wound dressings, tissue engineering, and 3D printing. These various applications require gels with different mechanical properties that can be easily tuned, also preferably excluding the use of chemical additives, which can be toxic or harmful to the body or environment. Here, we report a novel strategy to synthesize cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) gels with tunable mechanical properties. Sequential freeze-thaw cycling and hydrothermal treatments were applied to CNC suspensions in different orders to give a series of pristine CNC hydrogels. Freeze-drying of the hydrogels also afforded a series of lightweight CNC aerogels. The mechanical properties of the hydrogels and aerogels were studied by rheological measurements and compression strength tests, respectively. Specifically, the complex modulus of CNC hydrogels ranged from 160 to 32,000 Pa among eight different hydrogels, while Young's modulus of CNC aerogels was tuned from 0.114 to 3.98 MPa across five different aerogels. The microstructures of aerogels were also investigated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microtomography, which revealed remarkable differences between the materials. Solvent sorption-desorption tests showed that the reinforced networks have excellent stability over the basic CNC aerogels in ethanol, demonstrating a material enhancement from the preparation strategies we developed. Thermal conductivity and thermal stability for these materials were also investigated, and it was found that the lowest thermal conductivity was 0.030 W/m K, and all of the aerogels are generally stable below 280 °C. These characteristics also expand the potential applications of this family of CNC gels to lightweight supporting materials and thermal insulators.

Regulatory Mechanism of Opposite Charges on Chiral Self-Assembly of Cellulose Nanocrystals

The charge plays an important role in cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) self-assembly to form liquid crystal structures, which has rarely been systematically explored. In this work, a novel technique combining atomic force microscopy force and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations was addressed for the first time to systematically investigate the differences in the CNC self-assembly caused by external positive and negative charges at the microscopic level, wherein sodium polyacrylate (PAAS) and chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) were used as external positive and negative charge additives, respectively. The results show that although the two additives both make the color of CNC films shift blue and eventually disappear, their regulatory mechanisms are, respectively, related to the extrusion of CNC particles by PAAS and the reduction in CNC surface charge by COS. The two effects both decreased the spacing between CNC particles and further increased the cross angle of CNC stacking arrangement, which finally led to the color variations. Moreover, the disappearance of color was proved to be due to the kinetic arrest of CNC suspensions before forming chiral nematic structure with the addition of PAAS and COS. This work provides an updated theoretical basis for the detailed disclosure of the CNC self-assembly mechanism.

Carboxylated Cellulose Nanocrystals Decorated with Varying Molecular Weights of Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) as Sustainable Antibacterial Agents

Cationic nanomaterials are promising candidates for the development of effective antibacterial agents by taking advantage of the nanoscale effects as well as other exceptional physicochemical properties of nanomaterials. In this study, carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals (cCNCs) derived from softwood pulp were coated with cationic poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) of varying molecular weights. The resulting cationic carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals coated with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (cCNCs-PDDA) nanomaterials were characterized for their structural and morphological properties using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, elemental analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Cationic cCNCs-PDDA were investigated for their antibacterial properties against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli 23934 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using a bacterial lawn growth inhibition assay. cCNC-PDDA materials displayed marked antibacterial activity, particularly against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, our results indicated that cCNCs-PDDA could be a potential candidate for antibacterial applications such as antibacterial surfaces or coatings.

Extraction Optimization and Characterization of Cellulose Nanocrystals from Apricot Pomace

Apricot pomace (AP) is lignocellulosic agro-industrial waste that could be considered a good source for cellulose-based, value-added compounds. In this study, conditions for cellulose nanocrystals' (CNCs) extraction from apricot pomace (AP) were optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on the extraction yield, and the resulting CNC was characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmittance Electron Microscopy (TEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The maximum CNC yield (34.56%) was obtained at a sulfuric acid concentration of 9.5 M within 60 min. FTIR analysis showed that noncellulosic components were gradually removed from the pomace. A morphological analysis of the nanocrystal was performed using SEM and TEM. CNCs were in the range of 5-100 µm in diameter and appeared as individual fibers. TGA analysis of the CNC sample revealed good thermal stability around 320°C. The crystalline index (%CI) of the CNC obtained from AP was determined to be 67.2%. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that AP could be considered a sustainable source for value-added compounds such as CNCs to contribute to a circular economy.

Synergistic Effects of 1-Octyl-3-Methylimidazolium Hexafluorophosphate and Cellulose Nanocrystals on Improving Polyacrylate Waterborne Anti-Corrosion Coatings

In this study, three copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(butyl acrylate) (PMMA-co-PBA) latex containing 1-octyl-3 methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (C₈mimPF₆), cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), and C₈mimPF₆-CNCs were successfully synthesized through mini emulsion polymerization. These novel composites were each coated on mild steel panels and tested for their anti-corrosion performance by immersion of the coated samples in 3.5 wt% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution over a certain period. The synergistic anti-corrosion effects of the C₈mimPF₆-CNCs sample led to the highest coating resistance, charge transfer resistance, and corrosion inhibition efficiency and the lowest diffusion coefficient and corrosion rate. The proposed synergistic mechanism revealed that CNCs enhanced the barrier effect of the coating while C₈mimPF₆ inhibited corrosion when released.

Chirality Transfer from an Innately Chiral Nanocrystal Core to a Nematic Liquid Crystal 2: Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals

The importance of and the difference between molecular versus structural core chirality of substances that form nanomaterials, and their ability to transmit and amplify their chirality to and within a surrounding condensed medium is yet to be exactly understood. Here we demonstrate that neat as well as disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) surface-modified cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with both molecular and morphological core chirality can induce homochirality in racemic nematic lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal (rac-N-LCLC) tactoids. In comparison to the parent chiral organic building blocks, D-glucose, endowed only with molecular chirality, both CNCs showed a superior chirality transfer ability. Here, particularly the structurally compatible DSCG-modified CNCs prove to be highly effective since the surface DSCG moieties can insert into the DSCG stacks that constitute the racemic tactoids. Overall, this presents a highly efficient pathway for chiral induction in an aqueous medium and thus for understanding the origins of biological homochirality in a suitable experimental system.

Effect of Polydopamine Coating of Cellulose Nanocrystals on Performance of PCL/PLA Bio-Nanocomposites

In bio-nanocomposites with a poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) matrix with neat and polydopamine (PDA)-coated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCd), the use of different mixing protocols with masterbatches prepared by solution casting led to marked variation of localization, as well as reinforcing and structure-directing effects, of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). The most balanced mechanical properties were found with an 80/20 PLA/PCL ratio, and complex PCL/CNC structures were formed. In the nanocomposites with a bicontinuous structure (60/40 and 40/60 PLA/PCL ratios), pre-blending the CNC and CNCd/PLA caused a marked increase in the continuity of mechanically stronger PLA and an improvement in related parameters of the system. On the other hand, improved continuity of the PCL phase when using a PCL masterbatch may lead to the reduction in or elimination of reinforcing effects. The PDA coating of CNC significantly changed its behavior. In particular, a higher affinity to PCL and ordering of PLA led to dissimilar structures and interface transformations, while also having antagonistic effects on mechanical properties. The negligible differences in bulk crystallinity indicate that alteration of mechanical properties may have originated from differences in crystallinity at the interface, also influenced by presence of CNC in this area. The complex effect of CNC on bio-nanocomposites, including the potential of PDA coating to increase thermal stability, is worthy of further study.