Preparation and characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol) and 1,2,3-propanetriol diglycidyl ether incorporated soy protein isolate-based films

Novel high strength PVA/soy protein isolate composite hydrogels and their properties

High strength polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/soy protein isolate (SPI) composite hydrogels (EPSG) were constructed by the introduction of PVA into SPI through the crosslinking with epichlorohydrin (ECH) and a freezing-thawing process. The EPSG hydrogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, FTIR, X-ray diffraction and compressive test. The results revealed that chemical crosslinking interactions occurred for SPI and PVA during the fabrication process. The composite hydrogels exhibited a homogenous porous structure, indicating certain miscibility between PVA and SPI. The introduction of PVA increased the compressive strength of SPI hydrogels greatly, which could reach as high as 5.38 MPa with the water content ratio of 89.5%. Moreover, the water uptake ratio of completely dried SPI hydrogel (namely xerogel) decreased gradually from 327.4% to 148.1% with the incorporation of PVA, showing a better potential as implants. The cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility of the EPSG hydrogels were evaluated by a series of in vitro experiments. The results showed that the EPSG hydrogels had no cytotoxicity (cell viability values were above 86.7%), good biocompatibility and hemocompatibility, showing potential applications as a direct blood contact material in the field of tissue engineering.

Dopamine-Mediated Pre-Crosslinked Cellulose/Polyurethane Block Elastomer for the Preparation of Robust Biocomposites

The development of micro- and nanofibril cellulose to improve strength while reducing the side effects of toughness and water resistance can benefit integrated polymer performance. Inspired by the interior microstructure of mussel byssus, this paper proposed an efficient means of generating an active block microfibrillated cellulose/polyurethane elastomer using an epoxy monomer as a pre-crosslinked agent with the addition of a poly(dopamine) layer. The block elastomer served as a multifunctional crosslinker, constructing a covalent network and interfacial hydrogen bonding that interlinked the elastomer with a soy protein isolate (SPI) matrix. Compared with the pristine SPI film, the introduction of the block elastomer induced remarkable improvements in tensile strength and toughness (146.7 and 102.1%, respectively). Additionally, the block elastomer was employed to further estimate its reinforcing effect in SPI resin modification, which also exhibited favorable water resistance and adhesion performance. This strategy may provide a new approach for constructing superior elastomers to reinforce applicable biomass composites.

Simultaneously Toughening and Strengthening Soy Protein Isolate-Based Composites via Carboxymethylated Chitosan and Halloysite Nanotube Hybridization

Chemical cross-linking modification can significantly enhance the tensile strength (TS) of soy protein isolate (SPI)-based composites, but usually at the cost of a reduction in the elongation at break (EB). In this study, eco-friendly and high-potential hybrid SPI-based nanocomposites with improved TS were fabricated without compromising the reduction of EB. The hybrid of carboxymethylated chitosan (CMCS) and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) as the enhancement center was added to the SPI and 1,2,3-propanetriol-diglycidyl-ether (PTGE) solution. The chemical structure, crystallinity, micromorphology, and opacity properties of the obtained SPI/PTGE/HNTs/CMCS film was analyzed by the attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results indicated that HNTs were uniformly dispersed in the SPI matrix without crystal structure damages. Compared to the SPI/PTGE film, the TS and EB of the SPI/PTGE/HNTs/CMCS film were increased by 57.14% and 27.34%, reaching 8.47 MPa and 132.12%, respectively. The synergy of HNTs and CMCS via electrostatic interactions also improved the water resistance of the SPI/PTGE/HNTs/CMCS film. These films may have considerable potential in the field of sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging.

A High-Performance Soy Protein Isolate-Based Nanocomposite Film Modified with Microcrystalline Cellulose and Cu and Zn Nanoclusters

Soy protein isolate (SPI)-based materials are abundant, biocompatible, renewable, and biodegradable. In order to improve the tensile strength (TS) of SPI films, we prepared a novel composite film modified with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and metal nanoclusters (NCs) in this study. The effects of the modification of MCC on the properties of SPI-Cu NCs and SPI-Zn NCs films were investigated. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy analyses and X-ray diffraction patterns characterized the strong interactions and reduction of the crystalline structure of the composite films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the enhanced cross-linked and entangled structure of modified films. Compared with an untreated SPI film, the tensile strength of the SPI-MCC-Cu and SPI-MCC-Zn films increased from 2.91 to 13.95 and 6.52 MPa, respectively. Moreover, the results also indicated their favorable water resistance with a higher water contact angle. Meanwhile, the composite films exhibited increased initial degradation temperatures, demonstrating their higher thermostability. The results suggested that MCC could effectively improve the performance of SPI-NCs films, which would provide a novel preparation method for environmentally friendly SPI-based films in the applications of packaging materials.

Improvement of Interfacial Adhesion by Bio-Inspired Catechol-Functionalized Soy Protein with Versatile Reactivity: Preparation of Fully Utilizable Soy-Based Film

The development of materials based on renewable resources with enhanced mechanical and physicochemical properties is hampered by the abundance of hydrophilic groups because of their structural instability. Bio-inspired from the strong adhesion ability of mussel proteins, renewable and robust soy-based composite films were fabricated from two soybean-derived industrial materials: soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS) and catechol-functionalized soy protein isolate (SPI-CH). The conjugation of SPI with multiple catechol moieties as a versatile adhesive component for SSPS matrix efficiently improved the interfacial adhesion between each segment of biopolymer. The biomimetic adherent catechol moieties were successfully bonded in the polymeric network based on catechol crosslinking chemistry through simple oxidative coupling and/or coordinative interaction. A combination of H-bonding, strong adhesion between the SPI-CH conjugation and SSPS matrix resulted in remarkable enhancements for mechanical properties. It was found that the tensile strength and Young's modulus was improved from 2.80 and 17.24 MPa of unmodified SP film to 4.04 and 97.22 MPa of modified one, respectively. More importantly, the resultant films exhibited favorable water resistance and gas (water vapor) barrier performances. The results suggested that the promising way improved the phase adhesion of graft copolymers using catechol-functionalized polymers as versatile adhesive components.

Preparation and Characterization of All-Biomass Soy Protein Isolate-Based Films Enhanced by Epoxy Castor Oil Acid Sodium and Hydroxypropyl Cellulose

All-biomass soy protein-based films were prepared using soy protein isolate (SPI), glycerol, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and epoxy castor oil acid sodium (ECOS). The effect of the incorporated HPC and ECOS on the properties of the SPI film was investigated. The experimental results showed that the tensile strength of the resultant films increased from 2.84 MPa (control) to 4.04 MPa and the elongation at break increased by 22.7% when the SPI was modified with 2% HPC and 10% ECOS. The increased tensile strength resulted from the reaction between the ECOS and SPI, which was confirmed by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). It was found that ECOS and HPC effectively improved the performance of SPI-based films, which can provide a new method for preparing environmentally-friendly polymer films for a number of commercial applications.