A phosphorylated nanocellulose/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose composite matrix: A biodegradable, flame-retardant and self-standing gel polymer electrolyte towards eco-friendly and high safety lithium ion batteries

Eco-friendly methylcellulose/zinc alginate film with multi-function properties: thermal stability, flame retardancy and antibacterial activities

The purpose of this study was to synthesize crosslinked films from methylcellulose (MC) and sodium alginate (SA) using a straightforward ion exchange technique in a ZnCl2 coagulation bath. The resulting MC/ZA blend films exhibited significant improvements in thermal stability, with a measured increase of 191 °C in degradation temperature compared to MC film. The introduction of zinc ion (Zn2+) enhanced the flame retardancy of MC/ZA film, achieving a 92.4 % reduction in flammability. The microstructure of the MC/ZA blend film displayed a relatively smooth surface, indicating better biocompatibility between MC and ZA. Additionally, the barrier property of the MC/ZA film was improved, with a 35 % reduction in permeability to water vapor, and the mechanical properties were strengthened, showing a slightly reduction of 5 % in tensile strength. Furthermore, the MC/ZA blend film demonstrated enhanced antibacterial effectiveness, with a 99.99 % of S. aureus and E. coli, implying their suitability for packaging applications involving high oil content foods.

Lithium-Rich Porous Aromatic Framework Doped Quasi-Solid Polymer Electrolyte for Lithium Battery with High Cycling Stability

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have revolutionized the energy storage landscape and are the preferred power source for various applications, ranging from portable electronics to electric vehicles. The constant drive and growth in battery research and development aim to enhance their performance, energy density, and safety. Advanced lithium batteries (LIBs) are considered to be the most promising electrochemical storage devices, which can provide high specific energy, volumetric energy density, and power density. However, the trade-off between ionic conductivity and cycling stability is still a major contradiction for SPEs. In this work, a novel hydroxylated PAF-1 was designed and synthesized through post-modification, and the lithium-rich single-ion porous aromatic framework PAF-1-OLi was thereafter prepared by lithiation, achieved with a specific surface area to be 155 m2 g-1 and a lithium content of 2.01 mmol g-1. PAF-1-OLi, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfony)limine (LiTFSI), and poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) were compounded to obtain PAF-1-OLi/PVDF by solution casting, which had good mechanical, thermodynamic, and electrochemical properties. The ion conductivity of PAF-1-OLi/PVDF infiltrated with plasticizer was 2.93 × 10-4 S cm-1 at 25 °C. The tLi+ was 0.77, which was much higher than that of the traditional dual-ion polymer electrolytes. The electrochemical window of PAF-1-OLi/PVDF can reach 4.9 V. The Li//PAF-1-OLi/PVDF//LiFePO4 battery initial discharge specific capacity was 147 mAh g-1 and reached 134.9 mAh g-1 after 600 cycles with a capacity retention rate of 91.2%, demonstrating its good cycling stability. The anionic part of lithium salt was fixed on the framework of PAF-1 to increase the Li+ transfer number of PAF-1-OLi/PVDF. The lithium-rich PAF-1-OLi and the LiTFSI provided abundant Li+ sources to transfer, while PAF-1-OLi helped to form a continuous Li+ transport channel, effectively promoting the migration of Li+ in the PAF-1-OLi/PVDF and effectively improving the Li+ conductivity. This study afforded a novel polymer electrolyte based on lithium-rich PAF-1-OLi, which has excellent electrochemical performance, providing a new choice for the polymer electrolyte of lithium batteries.

Graft onto approaches for nanocellulose-based advanced functional materials

The resurgence of cellulose as nano-dimensional 'nanocellulose' has unlocked a sustainable bioeconomy for the development of advanced functional biomaterials. Bestowed with multifunctional attributes, such as renewability and abundance of its source, biodegradability, biocompatibility, superior mechanical, optical, and rheological properties, tunable self-assembly and surface chemistry, nanocellulose presents exclusive opportunities for a wide range of novel applications. However, to alleviate its intrinsic hydrophilicity-related constraints surface functionalization is inevitably needed to foster various targeted applications. The abundant surface hydroxyl groups on nanocellulose offer opportunities for grafting small molecules or macromolecular entities using either a 'graft onto' or 'graft from' approach, resulting in materials with distinctive functionalities. Most of the reviews published to date extensively discussed 'graft from' modification approaches, however 'graft onto' approaches are not well discussed. Hence, this review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of 'graft onto' approaches. Furthermore, insight into some of the recently emerging applications of this grafted nanocellulose including advanced nanocomposite formulation, stimuli-responsive materials, bioimaging, sensing, biomedicine, packaging, and wastewater treatment has also been reviewed.

Cross-Linking of Sugar-Derived Polyethers and Boronic Acids for Renewable, Self-Healing, and Single-Ion Conducting Organogel Polymer Electrolytes

This report describes the synthesis and characterization of organogels by reaction of a diol-containing polyether, derived from the sugar d-xylose, with 1,4-phenylenediboronic acid (PDBA). The cross-linked materials were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and rheology. The rheological material properties could be tuned: gel or viscoelastic behavior depended on the concentration of polymer, and mechanical stiffness increased with the amount of PDBA cross-linker. Organogels demonstrated self-healing capabilities and recovered their storage and loss moduli instantaneously after application and subsequent strain release. Lithiated organogels were synthesized through incorporation of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) into the cross-linked matrix. These lithium-borate polymer gels showed a high ionic conductivity value of up to 3.71 × 10^-3 S cm^-1 at 25 °C, high lithium transference numbers (t ₊ = 0.88-0.92), and electrochemical stability (4.51 V). The gels were compatible with lithium-metal electrodes, showing stable polarization profiles in plating/stripping tests. This system provides a promising platform for the production of self-healing gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) derived from renewable feedstocks for battery applications.