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Guo J, He J, Zhang S. In situ self-assembly of pulp microfibers and nanofibers into a transparent, high-performance and degradable film. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 277:134294. [PMID: 39102925 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.134294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Despite the significant properties of fossil plastics, the current unsustainable methods employed in production, usage and disposal present a grave threat to both energy and environment. The development of degradable biomass materials as substitutes for fossil plastics can effectively address the energy-environment paradox at the source. Here, we prepared novel micro-nano multiscale composite films through assembling and crosslinking nanocellulose with coniferous wood pulp microfibers. The composite film combines the advantages of microfibers and nanocellulose, achieving a maximum transmittance of 91 %, foldability, excellent mechanical properties (tensile strength: 51.3 MPa, elongation at break: 4 %, young's modulus: 3.4 GPa), high thermal stability and complete degradation within 40 days. The composite film exhibits mechanochemical self-healing and retains properties even after fracture. Such exceptional performance fully meets the requirements for substituting petroleum plastics. By incorporating CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ into the composite film, it enables dual emission of red and blue light, thereby being able to promote plant growth and presenting potential as a novel sustainable alternative for agricultural films. By assembling microfiber and nanocellulose, such novel strategy is presented for the fabrication of high-quality biomass materials, thereby offering a promising avenue towards environment-friendly resource-sustainable new materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianrong Guo
- Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Center for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology, and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Junhui He
- Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Center for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology, and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Shuyu Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
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Xu J, Feng K, Li Y, Xie J, Wang Y, Zhang Z, Hu Q. Enhanced Biodegradation Rate of Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) Composites Using Reed Fiber. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:411. [PMID: 38337300 DOI: 10.3390/polym16030411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
To enhance the degradability of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), reed fiber (RF) was blended with PBAT to create composite materials. In this study, a fifteen day degradation experiment was conducted using four different enzyme solutions containing lipase, cellulase, Proteinase K, and esterase, respectively. The degradation process of the sample films was analyzed using an analytical balance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The PBAT/RF composites exhibited an increased surface hydrophilicity, which enhanced their degradation capacity. Among all the enzymes tested, lipase had the most significant impact on the degradation rate. The weight loss of PBAT and PBAT/RF, caused by lipase, was approximately 5.63% and 8.17%, respectively. DSC analysis revealed an increase in the melting temperature and crystallinity over time, especially in the film containing reed fibers. FTIR results indicated a significant weakening of the ester bond peak in the samples. Moreover, this article describes a biodegradation study conducted for three months under controlled composting conditions of PBAT and PBAT/RF samples. The results showed that PBAT/RF degraded more easily in compost as compared to PBAT. The lag phase of PBAT/RF was observed to decrease by 23.8%, while the biodegradation rate exhibited an increase of 11.8% over a period of 91 days. SEM analysis demonstrated the formation of more cracks and pores on the surface of PBAT/RF composites during the degradation process. This leads to an increased contact area between the composites and microorganisms, thereby accelerating the degradation of PBAT/RF. This research is significant for preparing highly degradable PBAT composites and improving the application prospects of biodegradable green materials. PBAT/RF composites are devoted to replacing petroleum-based polymer materials with sustainable, natural materials in advanced applications such as constructional design, biomedical application, and eco-environmental packaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Xu
- Xiong'an Institute of Innovation, Baoding 071700, China
| | - Kunpeng Feng
- Xiong'an Institute of Innovation, Baoding 071700, China
| | - Yuan Li
- College of Chemistry and Environment Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Jixing Xie
- College of Chemistry and Environment Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Yingsai Wang
- Xiong'an Institute of Innovation, Baoding 071700, China
| | | | - Qing Hu
- Xiong'an Institute of Innovation, Baoding 071700, China
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Liu TY, Xu PY, Lu B, Zhen ZC, Zheng WZ, Dong YC, Li X, Wang GX, Ji JH. Enhanced degradation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) by the addition of lactic acid / glycolic acid: composting degradation, seawater degradation behavior and comparison of degradation mechanism. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 446:130670. [PMID: 36580787 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The degradability improvement of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), one of the most widely used but non-degradable disposable packaging material, is of great significance. However, the balance between degradability and mechanical properties remains a huge challenge. Herein, simple hydroxy acids, lactic acid (LA) and glycolic acid (GA) as easy hydrolysis sites were introduced into non-degradable PET via melt polycondensation. A series of high molecular weight poly(ethylene terephthalate-co-L‑lactide) (PETL) and poly(ethylene terephthalate-co-glycolate) (PETG) copolyesters were synthesized with an excellent tensile strength greater than 50 MPa, much higher than that of most commercially available degradable polymers. The introduction of hydroxy acid endows PET with significantly improved composting and seawater degradation performance. Furtherly, the degradation rate of PETG with hydrophilic GA unit was faster than that of PETL, and the mineralization rate of PETG80 reaches 22.0%. The density of functional theory (DFT) calculation revealed that adding hydroxy acid to the PET molecular chain reduced the energy barrier of the hydrolysis reaction. The molecular polarity index (MPI) analysis furtherly confirmed that the higher affinity between the GA unit and water may be the primary reason for the faster degradation of PETG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Yuan Liu
- National Engineering Research Center of Engineering Plastics and Ecological Plastics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Peng-Yuan Xu
- National Engineering Research Center of Engineering Plastics and Ecological Plastics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bo Lu
- National Engineering Research Center of Engineering Plastics and Ecological Plastics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; Hainan Degradable Plastics Technology Innovation Center, Haikou 571137, China
| | - Zhi-Chao Zhen
- National Engineering Research Center of Engineering Plastics and Ecological Plastics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; Hainan Degradable Plastics Technology Innovation Center, Haikou 571137, China
| | - Wei-Zhen Zheng
- National Engineering Research Center of Engineering Plastics and Ecological Plastics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yan-Chao Dong
- National Engineering Research Center of Engineering Plastics and Ecological Plastics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao Li
- National Engineering Research Center of Engineering Plastics and Ecological Plastics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ge-Xia Wang
- National Engineering Research Center of Engineering Plastics and Ecological Plastics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; Hainan Degradable Plastics Technology Innovation Center, Haikou 571137, China.
| | - Jun-Hui Ji
- National Engineering Research Center of Engineering Plastics and Ecological Plastics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; Hainan Degradable Plastics Technology Innovation Center, Haikou 571137, China.
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