Fabrication and Characterization of Nanocellulose Hydrogels for Facile Coating Applications

摘要

Cellulose, one of the most abundant natural polymers, can be engineered to nanocelluloses (NCs) featuring large surface areas and facile reactivity arising from nano dimensions. With their sustainability, biocompatibility, low toxicity, and natural tensile strength, NCs find many practical applications ranging from food packaging to biomedical coatings to mechanical reinforcement for natural composites. Particularly, NC hydrogels, which consist of nanosize cellulose fibrils delaminated via high-pressure homogenization, would be useful for coating on various substrates including natural and synthetic fibers and biomedical textiles such as meshes and sutures. This research discusses the fabrication of NC hydrogels and their process-structure-property relationship, aiming for the use of NC hydrogels as facile coating materials. In particular, we will focus on the mechanical and chemical pretreatments of cellulose pulps, which would influence the delamination and separation from cellulose fibers, thereby impacting overall the structure and property of NC gels. Once made into a gel, NC gel can then be used for a coating material for a variety of substrates. After the application of various pretreatments and homogenization, NC hydrogels are characterized through rheological and morphological studies. Finally, we showcase the potential use of NC gels for coating applications such as textile dyeing and finishing.