Comparative Analysis of Solvent Casting and Pickering Emulsion Techniques for Improving the Mechanical Properties of Surface-Modified Cellulose Nanomaterial-Reinforced Polylactic Acid Composites.

In the present work, solvent casting and Pickering emulsion methods are studied to enhance the mechanical properties of polylactic acid (PLA) composites containing surface-modified cellulose nanomaterials. To enhance the compatibility and the adhesion at the interface, cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) was functionalized by 2,4-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and castor oil. Their results demonstrated that the Pickering emulsion method led to better dispersion of CNC in composites, resulting in improved tensile strength, flexibility, and thermal stability (compared with solvent-casted ones).

Broadening the coating applications of sustainable materials by reinforcing epoxidized corn oil with single-walled carbon nanotubes.

In the global context of environmental awareness, the present research proposes a sustainable alternative to the widely used petroleum-based epoxy coatings. Epoxidized corn oil (ECO) was tested as potential matrix for advanced nanocomposite coating materials reinforced with 0.25 to 1 wt.

Combined Thermomechanical Effect of Graphene Oxide and Montmorillonite on Biobased Epoxy Network Formation for Coatings.

Epoxy nanocomposites derived from linseed oil, reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) and montmorillonite (MMT) nanostructures, were synthesized. The nanohybrids were developed by enriching the structure of MMT and GO with primary amines through a common and simplified method, which implies physical interactions promoted by ultrasonic processing energy. The influence of the new nanoreinforcing agents along with neat ones on the overall properties of the biobased epoxy materials for coating applications was assessed.

Peelable Alginate Films Reinforced by Carbon Nanofibers Decorated with Antimicrobial Nanoparticles for Immediate Biological Decontamination of Surfaces.

This study presents the synthesis and characterization of alginate-based nanocomposite peelable films, reinforced by carbon nanofibers (CNFs) decorated with nanoparticles that possess remarkable antimicrobial properties. These materials are suitable for immediate decontamination applications, being designed as fluid formulations that can be applied on contaminated surfaces, and subsequently, they can rapidly form a peelable film via divalent ion crosslinking and can be easily peeled and disposed of. Silver, copper, and zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using superficial oxidized carbon nanofibers (CNF-ox) as support.

A Comparative Study of the Impact of the Bleaching Method on the Production and Characterization of Cotton-Origin Nanocrystalline Cellulose by Acid and Enzymatic Hydrolysis.

Due to environmental concerns, as well as its exceptional physical and mechanical capabilities, biodegradability, and optical and barrier qualities, nanocellulose has drawn a lot of interest as a source of reinforcing materials that are nanometer sized. This article focuses on how to manufacture cellulose nanomaterials from cotton by using different types of acids such as HSO and HCI in different concentrations and in the presence of enzymes such as cellulase and xylanase. Two different types of bleaching methods were used before acid and enzyme hydrolysis.

Investigating the Synthesis and Characteristics of UV-Cured Bio-Based Epoxy Vegetable Oil-Lignin Composites Mediated by Structure-Directing Agents.

Bio-based composites were developed from the epoxy derivatives of oil and kraft lignin (ELALO and EpLnK), using UV radiation as a low energy consumption tool for the oxiranes reaction. To avoid the filler sedimentation or its inhomogeneous distribution in the oil matrix, different structure-directing agents (SDA) were employed: 1,3:2,4-dibenzylidene-D-sorbitol (DBS), 12-hydroxystearic acid (HSA) and sorbitan monostearate (Span 60). The SDA and EpLnK effect upon the ELALO-based formulations, their curing reaction and the performance of the resulting materials were investigated.

Comparative Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Sustainable Epoxy Polymer Networks Derived from Linseed Oil.

Considering its great industrial potential, epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) was crosslinked with different agents, both natural and synthetic: citric acid (CA, in the presence of water-W, or tetrahydrofuran-THF, as activator molecules) and Jeffamine D230, respectively, resulting bio-based polymeric matrices, studied further, comparatively, in terms of their properties, through different methods. Thermal curing parameters were established by means of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Fourier transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and DSC were used to identify the reactivity of each ELO-based formulation, discussing the influence of the employed curing systems under the conversion of the epoxy rings.

Epoxy Coatings Containing Modified Graphene for Electromagnetic Shielding.

This study presents the functionalization and characterization of graphene and electromagnetic interference (EMI) attenuation capacity in epoxy-nanocomposites. The modification of graphene involved both small molecules and polymers for compatibilization with epoxy resin components to provide EMI shielding. The TGA and RAMAN analyses confirmed the synthesis of graphene with a different layer thickness of the graphene sheets.

Chitosan-Based Materials Featuring Multiscale Anisotropy for Wider Tissue Engineering Applications.

We designed graphene oxide composites with increased morphological and structural variability using fatty acid-coupled polysaccharide co-polymer as the continuous phase. The matrix was synthesized by N, O-acylation of chitosan with palmitic and lauric acid. The obtained co-polymer was crosslinked with genipin and composited with graphene oxide.

Graphene Oxide-Protein-Based Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering: Recent Advances and Applications.

The field of tissue engineering is constantly evolving as it aims to develop bioengineered and functional tissues and organs for repair or replacement. Due to their large surface area and ability to interact with proteins and peptides, graphene oxides offer valuable physiochemical and biological features for biomedical applications and have been successfully employed for optimizing scaffold architectures for a wide range of organs, from the skin to cardiac tissue. This review critically focuses on opportunities to employ protein-graphene oxide structures either as nanocomposites or as biocomplexes and highlights the effects of carbonaceous nanostructures on protein conformation and structural stability for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Layered Clay-Graphene Oxide Nanohybrids for the Reinforcement and Fire-Retardant Properties of Polyurea Matrix.

Nanostructures are more and more evolved through extensive research on their functionalities; thus, the aim of this study was to obtain layered clay-graphene oxide nanohybrids with application as reinforcing agents in polyurea nanocomposites with enhanced thermal-mechanical and fire-retardant properties. Montmorillonite (MMT) was combined with graphene oxide (GO) and amine functionalized graphene oxide (GOD) through a new cation exchange method; the complex nanostructures were analyzed through FTIR and XPS to assess ionic interactions between clay layers and GO sheets by C1s deconvolution and specific C sp3, respective/ly, C-O secondary peaks appearance. The thermal decomposition of nanohybrids showed a great influence of MMT layers in TGA, while the XRD patterns highlighted mutual MMT and GO sheets crystalline-structure disruption by the d (002) shift 2θ = 6.

Composite Materials from Renewable Resources as Sustainable Corrosion Protection Coatings.

Epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) and kraft lignin (LnK) were used to obtain new sustainable composites as corrosion protection layers through a double-curing procedure involving UV radiation and thermal curing to ensure homogeneous distribution of the filler. The crosslinked structures were confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), by comparative monitorization of the absorption band at 825 cm, attributed to the stretching vibration of epoxy rings. Thermal degradation behavior under N2 gas indicates that the higher LnK content, the better thermal stability of the composites (over 30 °C of Td10% for ELO + 15% LnK), while for the experiment under air-oxidant atmosphere, the lower LnK content (5%) conducted to the more thermo-stable material.