Enhanced Water Splitting Electrocatalysis with Heterointerfacial Cobalt Phosphide In Situ Supported on a Cellulose-Derived Carbon Aerogel.

The active site density, intrinsic activity, and supporting substrate of cobalt phosphide catalysts are vital to their performance in alkaline water electrolysis. In this work, a CoP/CoP loaded on cellulose nanofiber-derived carbon aerogels (CP/CCAs) bifunctional electrocatalyst with a three-dimensional network and heterostructure is illustrated through sequential facile hydrothermal, freeze-drying, and phosphorylation processes. The three-dimensional network of carbon aerogels derived from cellulose nanofibers reveals a specific surface area of 183.

Tailoring graphitized cellulose nanocrystal morphologies for robust barrier and mechanical enhancement of PPC composites for green active packaging.

Both nanocellulose and graphene nanosheets serve as exceptional fillers for biopolymers. However, there are limited materials that effectively combine the properties of these two fillers in Poly (propylene carbonate) (PPC) to enhance their overall properties. This study presents a meticulous approach to producing graphitized nanocellulose (GCNC) with tailored rod-like (R-GCNC) and spheres-like (S-GCNC) under low-temperature and ambient-pressure conditions.

Enhancing flame retardancy, antibacterial activity and UV resistance of polyamide 66 fabric by fully biobased intumescent flame-retardant nanocellulose coating.

Polyamide 66 (PA66) fabric, one of the most common textile materials, presents great fire hazards to human safety and property due to its intrinsic flammability. In this study, fully biobased intumescent flame-retardants (IFRs) composed of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), tannic acid (TA) and phytic acid (PA) were synthesized and coated onto the surface of the PA66 fabric for improving the flame retardancy, antibacterial and UV resistance. It is found that IFR coating effectively suppressed the droplet and smoke phenomenon of PA66 fabric, and the total smoke production (TSP) and smoke production rate (SPR) values of the fabric were significantly reduced by 71.

Two-directions mechanical strength and high-barrier mechanisms of cellulose nanocrystal- based hybrids reinforced packaging with nacre-mimetic structure.

This work represents a new composite film with a nacre-mimetic structure through the alignment of hybrids comprising cellulose nanocrystals and ball-milled boron nitride (CNC-BNNS), within polypropylene carbonate (PPC) endowed with various properties. The impact of CNC-BNNS hybrids on mechanical strength mechanisms was evaluated under two-directional forces, marking the first such assessment. Using a solution casting approach, incorporating 5 % CNC-BNNS improved tensile strength by 67.

In situ growth of MnO on graphitized cellulose nanocrystal: A novel coaxial heterostructures with unblocked conductive networks as advanced electrode materials for supercapacitor.

Manganese dioxide (MnO) with high theoretical capacitance and natural abundance has attracted great attention but is still challenging for use in supercapacitors, due to the limited conductivity and lower electron and ion migration. Here, a facile in situ growth strategy is developed to prepare heterostructural graphitized cellulose nanocrystal (GCNC)/MnO with unblocked conductive networks through a hydrothermal reaction. The GCNC with highly ordered graphitic carbon layers as conductive support framework solves the agglomeration problem of MnO and increases effective specific surface areas in contact with electrolyte ions.

Multiple covalent modification enables nylon fiber biosensor with robust scrub-resistant and signal-capture ability for multiscenario health monitoring and security warning.

Nylon fibers have great potentials in smart textiles due to excellent wear resistance, resilience, and chemical stability, whereas poor combination between fibers and conductive materials causes discontinuous signal capture. In this work, nylon fibers/di-aldehyde cellulose nanocrystals/polypyrrole (NFACP) biosensors with robust scrub-resistant and signal-capture ability were fabricated by interfacial multiple covalent reactions. The best NFACP biosensor exhibited high conductivity (354 S/m), robust mechanical strength and stretching-releasing dynamic durability.

Investigating interface adhesion of PLA-coated cellulose paper straws: Degradation, plant growth effects, and life cycle assessment.

Although bioplastics and paper straws have been introduced as alternatives to single-use plastic straws, their potential environmental, economic, and social impacts have not been analyzed. This study addresses this gap by designing a polylactic acid layer interface adhesion on cellulose paper-based (PLA-P) composite straws by a dip molding process. This process is simple, efficient, and scalable for massive production.

In situ growth of curcumin-loaded cellulose composite film for real-time monitoring of food freshness in smart packaging.

Visual pH-responsive packaging material is particularly important in food supply chain safety monitoring due to their non-destructive monitoring method and intuitive result. However, it has always been limited by the instability performance of pH-response components and carriers, which further hinders its wide food safety application. To address these challenges, we selected cellulose with remarkable biocompatibility and mechanical properties as the carrier, and high pH-responsive curcumin to develop a smart packaging material (RC/GC composite film) with real-time food safety monitoring.

Facile synthesis, release mechanism, and life cycle assessment of amine-modified lignin for bifunctional slow-release fertilizer.

Biomass-based slow-release fertilizers (SRFs) are a sustainable solution for addressing food scarcity, improving fertilizer efficiency, and reducing pollution, whereas they still face complex preparation, high costs, and low release characteristics. This study introduces a simple and innovative approach to producing bifunctional green SRFs with controlled release and conditioning properties for saline soils and harsh environments. The method involves a one-pot preparation of microsphere-structured amine-modified lignin slow-release fertilizer (L-U) using biomass lignin as the starting material.

Stiff gel-protected fiber-shaped supercapacitors based on CNFA/silk composite fiber with superhigh interference-resistant ability as self-powered temperature sensor.

The development of self-powered sensors with interference-resistant detection is a priority area of research for the next generation of wearable electronic devices. Nevertheless, the presence of multiple stimuli in the actual environment will result in crosstalk with the sensor, thereby hindering the ability to obtain an accurate response to a singular stimulus. Here, we present a self-powered sensor composed of silk-based conductive composite fibers (CNFA@ESF), which is capable of energy storage and sensing.

Two-response surface design optimization of carboxylated CNCs with super high thermal stability and dye removal capability.

Discharging wastewater from industrial dyeing and printing processes poses a significant environmental threat, necessitating green and efficient adsorbents. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have emerged as a promising option for dye adsorbing. However, the industrial production and commercialization of CNCs still faced low yield, time-consuming, and uneco-friendly.

Efficient cellulose dissolution and derivatization enabled by oxalic/sulfuric acid for high-performance cellulose films as food packaging.

The performance of cellulose-based materials is highly dependent on the choice of solvent systems. Exceptionally, cellulose dissolution and derivatization by efficient solvent have been considered as a key factor for large-scale industrial applications of cellulose. However, cellulose dissolution and derivatization often requires harsh reaction conditions, high energy consumption, and complex solubilizing, resulting in environmental impacts and low practical value.

Tailoring Hydronium ion Driven Dissociation-Chemical Cross-Linking for Superfast One-Pot Cellulose Dissolution and Derivatization to Build Robust Cellulose Films.

Concepts of sustainability must be developed to overcome the increasing environmental hazards caused by fossil resources. Cellulose derivatives with excellent properties are promising biobased alternatives for petroleum-derived materials. However, a one-pot route to achieve cellulose dissolution and derivatization is very challenging, requiring harsh conditions, high energy consumption, and complex solubilizing.

"Green" electrostatic droplet-assisted forming cellulose microspheres with excellent structural controllability and stability for efficient Cr(VI) removal.

This study presents a novel and environmentally friendly method for producing cellulose microspheres (CM) with controllable morphology and size using electrostatic droplets. The traditional droplet method for CM production requires complex equipment and harmful reagents. In contrast, the proposed method offers a simple electrostatic droplet approach to fabricate CM10 at 10 kV, which exhibited a smaller volume, linear microscopic morphology, and a larger specific surface area, with a 36.

Next-generation self-adhesive dressings: Highly stretchable, antibacterial, and UV-shielding properties enabled by tannic acid-coated cellulose nanocrystals.

Hydrogels with excellent high-water uptake and flexibility have great potential for wound dressing. However, pure hydrogels without fiber skeleton faced poor water retention, weak fatigue resistance, and mechanical strength to hinder the development of the dressing as next-generation functional dressings. We prepared an ultrafast gelation (6 s) Fe/TA-CNC hydrogel (CTFG hydrogel) based on a self-catalytic system and bilayer self-assembled composites.

Multiple noncovalent interactions tailored crystallization and performance reinforcement mechanisms of Biopolyester Composites with functional Cellulose Nanocrystals.

The slow crystallization and weak mechanical features of poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) have become a severe industrial problem in food packaging. Inspired by principle of bionic structure, functional cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) modified with hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) and toluene diisocyanate (TDI) can enhance the crystallization ability and mechanical properties of PBAT nanocomposites. Significantly, CNC-T (CNC modified by TDI) showed a stronger reinforced effect on PBAT properties than unmodified CNCs and CNC-H (CNC modified by HMDI) nanofillers due to hydrogen bonds, π-π interaction between PBAT matrix and CNC-T nanofillers with benzene ring structure.

Highly efficient dissolution and reinforcement mechanism of robust and transparent cellulose films for smart packaging.

The packaging of fresh foods increasingly focuses on renewable and eco-friendly cellulose films, but their low dissolution efficiency and weak mechanical strength greatly limit their wide application, which also cannot be used for smart packaging. Here, a highly efficient synergistic chloride-salt dissolution method was proposed to fabricate robust, transparent, and smart cellulose films. Cellulose films with appropriate Ca concentration exhibited robust mechanical strength, better thermal stability, high transparency and crystallinity.

Deep insights into biodegradability mechanism and growth cycle adaptability of polylactic acid/hyperbranched cellulose nanocrystal composite mulch.

The widespread use of petroleum-based plastic mulch in agriculture has accelerated white and microplastic pollution while posing a severe agroecological challenge due to its difficulty in decomposing in the natural environment. However, endowing mulch film with degradability and growth cycle adaptation remains elusive due to the inherent non-degradability of petroleum-based plastics severely hindering its applications. This work reports polylactic acids hyperbranched composite mulch (PCP) and measured biodegradation behavior under burial soil, seawater, and ultraviolet (UV) aging to understand the biodegradation kinetics and to increase their sustainability in the agriculture field.

Robust and versatile superhydrophobic cellulose-based composite film with superior UV shielding and heat-barrier performances for sustainable packaging.

Replacing single-use plastic delivery bags (SPDBs) with cellulose-based materials is an effective strategy to reduce environmental pollution. However, the inherent hydrophilicity and ultralow mechanical strength of cellulose materials limit its development. In this study, zinc oxide (ZnO)-cellulose composite films were successfully prepared through "two-step strategy" of lotus leaves structure simulation, including deposition of micro-nano ZnO particles and stearic acid (STA) modification.

Multi-functional nanocellulose based nanocomposites for biodegradable food packaging: Hybridization, fabrication, key properties and application.

Nowadays, non-degradable plastic packaging materials have caused serious environmental pollution, posing a threat to human health and development. Renewable eco-friendly nanocellulose hybrid (NCs-hybrid) composites as an ideal alternative to petroleum-based plastic food packaging have been extensively reported in recent years. NCs-hybrids include metal, metal oxides, organic frameworks (MOFs), plants, and active compounds.

Homogeneous wet-spinning construction of skin-core structured PANI/cellulose conductive fibers for gas sensing and e-textile applications.

Fiber-based wearable electronic textiles have broad applications, but non-degradable substrates may contribute to electronic waste. The application of cellulose-based composite fibers as e-textiles is hindered by the lack of fast and effective preparation methods. Here, we fabricated polyaniline (PANI)/cellulose fibers (PC) with a unique skin-core structure through a wet-spinning homogeneous blended system.

All-naturally structured tough, ultrathin, and washable dual-use composite for fruits preservation with high biosafety evaluation.

This work develops a sustainable and global strategy to enhance fruit preservation efficacy. The dual-use composite coating or film comprises silk fibroin/cellulose nanocrystals (SF/CNC) with superior ductility through a synergistic plasticizing effect of glycerol and natural aloe-emodin powder (AE) as antimicrobial agents. To confirm our strategy, two common fruit preservation materials (edible surface coating-SCA-CS; packaging film-SCA-PF) and five different fruits (strawberries, bananas, apples, blueberries, and guavas) have been used.

One-pot strategy to fabricate conductive cellulose nanocrystal-polyethylenedioxythiophene nanocomposite: Synthesis mechanism, modulated morphologies and sensor assembly.

Simple preparation, good conductivity, and excellent hydrophilicity are in urgent demand due to fast growth of wearable intelligent devices. Cellulose nanocrystal-polyethylenedioxythiophene (CNC-PEDOT) nanocomposites with modulated morphology were prepared through Iron (III) p-toluenesulfonate hydrolysis of commercialized microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and in situ polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene monomers (EDOT) through one-pot green synthesis, where preparation and modification of CNC were obtained for uses as templates to anchor PEDOT nanoparticles. The resultant CNC-PEDOT nanocomposite gave well-dispersed PEDOT nanoparticles with sheet-like structure on the CNC surface, possessing higher conductivity and improved hydrophilicity or dispersibility.

Thermo-sensitive composite microspheres incorporating cellulose nanocrystals for regulated drug release kinetics.

Thermo-sensitive composite microspheres (TPCP) were developed to achieve the on-demand release of drugs. The TPCP microspheres were synthesized using Oil-in-Water (O/W) emulsion evaporation technique and then impregnated with thermo-sensitive polyethylene glycol (PEG). The addition of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) significantly enhance thermal stability, crystallization ability, and surface hydrophilicity of TPCP microspheres due to heterogeneous nucleation effect and hydrogen bonding interaction, resulting in stable microsphere structure.