Multifunctional soybean protein isolate-graft-carboxymethyl cellulose composite as all-biodegradable and mechanically robust mulch film for "green" agriculture

Multifunctional mulch films with robust mechanical behaviors of biopolymer-based biodegradable mulch materials were highly demanded in promoting the development of "green" agriculture. Herein, a sort of mechanically robust and all-biodegradable soybean protein isolate-graft‑sodium carboxymethyl cellulose composite mulch film was innovatively proposed through the amidation reactions between -COOH on protonated sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and -NH2 on soybean protein isolate. Arising from the reinforced intermolecular interactions upon chemical covalent bonds and physical hydrogen bonds, the maximum tensile strength and the elongation at break were increased from 10.61 MPa and 20.67 % for sodium carboxymethyl cellulose film to 42.15 MPa and 24.8 % for the optimized soybean protein isolate-graft‑sodium carboxymethyl cellulose composite mulch film, respectively. In addition, experimental results showed that the optimized soybean protein isolate-graft‑sodium carboxymethyl cellulose composite mulch film possesses soil moisture retention and controlled urea release properties. When employed as mulch film in practice, the cabbage seed presents higher germination when soil was covered with this versatile mulch film compared to commercial low-density polyethylene mulch film. Our discoveries build a prototype for the manufacture of eco-friendly mulch films with high mechanical strength, soil moisture retention, controlled urea release features.

Dosimetric Characterization of DSF/NaOH/IA-PAE/R. spp. Phantom Material for Radiation Therapy

Background: Different compositions of DSF/NaOH/IA-PAE/R. spp. composite particleboard phantoms were constructed. Methods: Photon attenuation characteristics were ascertained using gamma rays from ¹³⁷Cs and ⁶⁰Co. Absorbed doses at the location of an ionization chamber and Gafchromic EBT3 radiochromic films were calculated for high-energy photons (6 and 10 MV) and electrons (6, 9, 12, and 15 MeV). Results: The calculated TPR_20,10 values indicate that the percentage discrepancy for 6 and 10 MV was in the range of 0.29-0.72% and 0.26-0.65%. It was also found that the relative difference in the dmax to water and solid water phantoms was between 1.08-1.28% and 5.42-6.70%. The discrepancies in the determination of PDD curves with 6, 9, 12, and 15 MeV, and those of water and solid water phantoms, ranged from 2.40-4.84%. Comparable results were found using the EBT3 films with variations of 2.0-7.0% for 6 and 10 MV photons. Likewise, the discrepancies for 6, 9, 12, and 15 MeV electrons were within an acceptable range of 2.0-4.5%. Conclusions: On the basis of these findings, the DSF/NaOH/IA-PAE/R. spp. particleboard phantoms with 15 wt% IA-PAE addition level can be effectively used as alternative tissue-equivalent phantom material for radiation therapy applications.

Hybrid Silver(I)-Doped Soybean Oil and Potato Starch Biopolymer Films to Combat Bacterial Biofilms

This study describes the preparation, characterization, and antimicrobial properties of novel hybrid biopolymer materials doped with bioactive silver(I) coordination polymers (bioCPs). Two new bioCPs, [Ag₂(μ₆-hfa)]_n (1) and [Ag₂(μ₄-nda)(H₂O)₂]_n (2), were assembled from Ag₂O and homophthalic (H₂hfa) or 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic (H₂nda) acids as unexplored building blocks. Their structures feature 2D metal-organic and supramolecular networks with 3,6L64 or sql topology. Both compounds act as active antimicrobial agents for producing bioCP-doped biopolymer films based on epoxidized soybean oil acrylate (SBO) or potato starch (PS) as model biopolymer materials with a different rate of degradability and silver release. BioCPs and their hybrid biopolymer films (1@[SBO]_n, 2@[SBO]_n, 1@[PS]_n, and 2@[PS]_n) with a very low loading of coordination polymer (0.05-0.5 wt %) show remarkable antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative) bacteria. Biopolymer films also effectively impair the formation of bacterial biofilms, allowing total biofilm inhibition in several cases. By reporting on new bioCPs and biopolymer films obtained from renewable biofeedstocks (soybean oil and PS), this study blends highly important research directions and widens a limited antimicrobial application of bioCPs and derived functional materials. This research thus opens up the perspectives for designing hybrid biopolymer films with outstanding bioactivity against bacterial biofilms.

Renewable bio-based adhesive fabricated from a novel biopolymer and soy protein

In this study, a bio-based soy protein adhesive derived from environmentally friendly and renewable enzymatic hydrolysis lignin (EHL), epoxidized soybean oil (ESO), and soy protein isolate (SPI), was successfully prepared. A novel biopolymer (EHL-ESO), as a multifunctional crosslinker, was firstly synthesized from modified EHL and ESO, and then crosslinked with soy protein isolate to obtain a bio-based soy protein adhesive. The structure, thermal properties, and adhesion performance of the obtained soy protein adhesives were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and wet shear strength. The maximum degradation temperature of SPI/EHL-ESO adhesives (332-343 °C) was higher than that of the pristine SPI adhesive (302 °C). Moreover, plywood bonded by the modified adhesive reached a maximum wet shear strength value of 1.07 MPa, a significant increase of 101.8% from the plywood bonded by pristine SPI adhesive. The enhancements in the thermal stability and wet shear strength were attributed to the formation of a dense crosslinking network structure. This work not only highlights the potential to replace petroleum-based polymers, but also presents a green approach to fabricate fully bio-based soy protein adhesive for preparing all-biomass wood composite materials.

Cellulose Nanocrystals and Corn Zein Oxygen and Water Vapor Barrier Biocomposite Films

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are well-suited to the preparation of biocomposite films and packaging material due to its abundance, renewability, biodegradability, and favorable film-forming capacity. In this study, different CNC and corn zein (CZ) composite films were prepared by adding CZ to the CNC suspension prior to drying, in order to change internal structure of resulting films. Films were developed to examine their performance as an alternative water vapor and oxygen-barrier for flexible packaging industry. Water vapor permeability (WVP) and oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of the biocomposite films decreased significantly in a specific ratio between CNC and CZ combined with 1,2,3,4-butane tetracarboxylic acid (BTCA), a nontoxic cross linker. In addition to the improved barrier properties, the incorporation of CZ benefitted the flexibility and thermal stability of the CNC/CZ composite films. The toughness increased by 358%, and Young's modulus decreased by 32% compared with the pristine CNC film. The maximum degradation temperature increased by 26 °C, compared with that of CNC film. These results can be attributed to the incorporation of a hydrophobic protein into the matrix creating hydrophobic interactions among the biocomposite components. SEM and AFM analysis indicated that CZ could significantly affect the CNC arrangement, and the film surface topography, due to the mechanical bundling and physical adsorption effect of CZ to CNC. The presented results indicate that CNC/CZ biocomposite films may find applications in packaging, and in multi-functionalization materials.

Cellulose Nanocrystals Derived from Textile Waste through Acid Hydrolysis and Oxidation as Reinforcing Agent of Soy Protein Film

More than 10 million tons of textile waste are disposed through landfill every year in North America. The disposal of textile waste via landfill or incineration causes environmental problems and represents a waste of useful resources. In this work, we explored the possibility to directly extract cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from untreated textile waste through two methods, namely sulfuric acid hydrolysis and three-step oxidization. CNCs with cellulose I_β crystalline structure and rod-like shape were successfully obtained. The aspect ratios of CNCs prepared from acid hydrolysis and oxidization were 10.00 ± 3.39 and 17.10 ± 12.85, respectively. Their application as reinforcing agent of soybean protein isolate (SPI) film was evaluated. With the addition of 20% CNCs, the composite film maintained the high transparency, while their water vapor barrier property, tensile strength, and Young’s modulus were significantly improved. This research demonstrates a promising approach to recycle textile waste, and more value-added applications based on the derived CNCs could be expected.

High-Performance Soy Protein Isolate-Based Film Synergistically Enhanced by Waterborne Epoxy and Mussel-Inspired Poly(dopamine)-Decorated Silk Fiber

It remains a great challenge to fabricate bio-based soy protein isolate (SPI) composite film with both favorable water resistance and excellent mechanical performance. In this study, waterborne epoxy emulsions (WEU), which are low-cost epoxy crosslinkers, together with mussel-inspired dopamine-decorated silk fiber (PSF), were used to synergistically improve the water resistance and mechanical properties of SPI-based film. A stable crosslinking network was generated in SPI-based films via multiple physical and chemical combinations of WEU, PSF, and soy protein matrixes, and was confirmed by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR). As expected, remarkable improvement in both water resistance and Young's modulus (up to 370%) was simultaneously achieved in SPI-based film. The fabricated SPI-based film also exhibited favorable thermostability. This study could provide a simple and environmentally friendly approach to fabricate high-performance SPI-based film composites in food packaging, food preservation, and additive carrier fields.

Development and characterization of novel composite glycerol-plasticized films based on sodium caseinate and lipid fraction of tomato pomace by-product

Tomato processing industries generate many byproducts that are mainly unexploited or underutilized. In order to convert tomato byproducts into added-value products, composite films made of sodium caseinate (NaCas), glycerol (25 wt%), and lipidic fraction of tomato pomace (LFTP) at different contents (0-40 wt%) were produced and characterized in terms of thermal stability, antioxidant activities, mechanical, hydrodynamic and optical properties. Our results showed that increasing LFTP concentration beyond 20 wt% increased the flexibility of NaCas films within the range of 17-25%. Moreover, LFTP incorporation at the highest content improved thermal stability of NaCas films and reduced their water absorption by >72%. Furthermore, increasing LFTP content led to a significant decrease in the light transmission of NaCas/LFTP composite films. Such improvement in functional and physical properties can be attributed not only to the establishment of specific interactions between NaCas and LFTP but also to their good miscibility in the blend along with the homogeneous dispersion of the incorporated LFTP in the polymeric matrix, as confirmed by FTIR and SEM analysis. On the other hand, the antioxidant capacity of NaCas/LFTP composite films was enhanced by increasing LFTP content most likely due to LFTP's high total phenolics content.

Development of Eco-Friendly Soy Meal Adhesives Enhanced by Ethylene Glycol Diglycidyl Ether

The ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE) as a viscosity reducer, plasticizing agent, and crosslinking agent was introduced into the adhesive system to improve the properties of the soy-based adhesive. The adhesive properties including viscosity, solid content, and shear adhesion of soy protein adhesive were measured. The morphology, infrared spectra, and crystallinity of the cured adhesives were evaluated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the viscosity of soybean flour (SF) adhesive was reduced by 48% and the solid content increased from 25.9% to 31.7% with the addition of 10 wt% EGDE. The wet shear strength of the plywood bonded by EGDE-modified SF adhesive was significantly improved owing to the formation of crosslinking structure in the adhesive system. The SEM, FTIR, and XRD results demonstrated that the crosslinking reaction among epoxy group of EGDE, the amino group of SF, and the hydroxyl groups of polyvinyl alcohol occurred successfully during the curing process.

A review on versatile applications of blends and composites of CNC with natural and synthetic polymers with mathematical modeling

Cellulose is world's most abundant, renewable and recyclable polysaccharide on earth. Cellulose is composed of both amorphous and crystalline regions. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are extracted from crystalline region of cellulose. The most attractive feature of CNC is that it can be used as nanofiller to reinforce several synthetic and natural polymers. In this article, a comprehensive overview of modification of several natural and synthetic polymers using CNCs as reinforcer in respective polymer matrix is given. The immense activities of CNCs are successfully utilized to enhance the mechanical properties and to broaden the field of application of respective polymer. All the technical scientific issues have been discussed highlighting the recent advancement in biomedical and packaging field.

Sodium Hydroxide-Free Soy Protein Isolate-Based Films Crosslinked by Pentaerythritol Glycidyl Ether

The soy protein isolate (SPI), sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) and pentaerythritol glycidyl ether (PEGE) were used to make biodegradable films in this study. Unlike the usual method that adding sodium hydroxide (NaOH) during the SPI-based film casting, SDBS was used as a surfactant playing the similar role as NaOH. Since NaOH is a chemical with corrosiveness and toxicity, the replacing of NaOH by SDBS might reduce the hazard threat during the utilization of SPI-based films in food packing application. Furthermore, the presentation of SDBS helped dispersing the hydrophobic PEGE into the hydrophilic SPI. PEGE is a crosslinking agent with multiple reactive epoxy groups. The chemical structures and micro morphologies of the fabricated films were investigated by means of FTIR, XRD, and SEM. The thermal stabilities of the films were examined by means of the thermo-gravimetric analysis. After the chemical crosslinking, the ultimate tensile strength of the film was significantly increased, meanwhile, the water absorption was dramatically decreased. It was concluded that the SPI-based film containing 4% PEGE achieved the optimal performance.

Development of Eco-friendly Soy Protein Isolate Films with High Mechanical Properties through HNTs, PVA, and PTGE Synergism Effect

This study was to develop novel soy protein isolate-based films for packaging using halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA), and 1,2,3-propanetriol-diglycidyl-ether (PTGE). The structural, crystallinity, opacity, micromorphology, and thermal stability of the resultant SPI/HNTs/PVA/PTGE film were analyzed by the Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transformed infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The SPI/HNTs/PVA/PTGE film illustrated that HNTs were uniformly dispersed in the SPI matrix and the thermal stability of the film was enhanced. Furthermore, the tensile strength (TS) of the SPI/HNTs/PVA/PTGE film was increased by 329.3% and the elongation at the break (EB) remained unchanged. The water absorption (WA) and the moisture content (MC) were decreased by 5.1% and 10.4%, respectively, compared to the unmodified film. The results highlighted the synergistic effects of SPI, HNTs, PVA, and PTGE on the mechanical properties, water resistance, and thermal stability of SPI films, which showed excellent strength and flexibility. In short, SPI films prepared from HNTs, PVA, and PTGE showed considerable potential as packaging materials.

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.

Micro-fibrillated cellulose reinforced eco-friendly polymeric resin from non-edible ‘Jatropha curcas’ seed waste after biodiesel production

Eco-friendly polymeric resin with desirable mechanical and physical properties was developed from non-edible protein extracted from Jatropha curcas (Jatropha) seed cake, so far considered as an agro-waste after oil extraction for bio-diesel conversion.