Ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [BMIM][Cl] was used to prepare cellulose (CELL), cellulose/polycaprolactone (CELL/PCL), cellulose/polycaprolactone/keratin (CELL/PCL/KER), and cellulose/polycaprolactone/keratin/ground calcium carbonate (CELL/PCL/KER/GCC) biodegradable mulch films. Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier-Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) were used to verify the films' surface chemistry and morphology. Mulch film made of only cellulose regenerated from ionic liquid solution exhibited the highest tensile strength (75.3 ± 2.1 MPa) and modulus of elasticity of 944.4 ± 2.0 MPa. Among samples containing PCL, CELL/PCL/KER/GCC is characterized by the highest tensile strength (15.8 ± 0.4 MPa) and modulus of elasticity (687.5 ± 16.6 MPa). The film's breaking strain decreased for all samples containing PCL upon the addition of KER and KER/GCC. The melting temperature of pure PCL is 62.3 °C, whereas that of CELL/PCL film has a slight tendency for melting point depression (61.0 °C), which is a characteristic of partially miscible polymer blends. Furthermore, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis revealed that the addition of KER or KER/GCC to CELL/PCL films resulted in an increment in melting temperature from 61.0 to 62.6 and 68.9 °C and an improvement in sample crystallinity by 2.2 and 3.0 times, respectively. The light transmittance of all studied samples was greater than 60%. The reported method for mulch film preparation is green and recyclable ([BMIM][Cl] can be recovered), and the inclusion of KER derived by extraction from waste chicken feathers enables conversion to organic biofertilizer. The findings of this study contribute to sustainable agriculture by providing nutrients that enhance the growth rate of plants, and hence food production, while reducing environmental pressure. The addition of GCC furthermore provides a source of Ca for plant micronutrition and a supplementary control of soil pH.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10301129 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym15122729 | DOI Listing |
Int J Biol Macromol
January 2025
PITMAEM PCSIR, Lahore, Pakistan.
ACS Macro Lett
January 2025
Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.
Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) with mechanical strength and reduced flammability may also enable next-generation Li batteries with higher energy densities. However, conventional SPEs have fundamental limitations in terms of Li conductivity. While an imidazole functionalized polymer (PMS-Im) has been previously shown to have ionic conductivity related to the imidazole-Li coordination, herein we demonstrate that quaternization of this polymer to form an analogous imidazolium functionalized polymer (PMS-Im) more efficiently solvates lithium salts and plasticizes the polymer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSoft Matter
January 2025
Biophysical Chemistry Laboratory, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.
The adsorption and aggregation of amphiphiles at different solvent interfaces are of great scientific and technological importance. In this study, interfacial tension measurements of surface-active compounds-ionic liquid 2-dodecyl-2,2dimethylethanolammonium bromide (12Cho.Br) and cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-were conducted both in the absence and presence of ciprofloxacin (CIP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmall
January 2025
Department of Chemical Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada.
Research into flexible solid-state supercapacitors for wearable electronics focuses on achieving high performance and safety. Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are preferred over fully solid-state electrolytes due to their better ionic conductivity while addressing safety concerns associated with liquid electrolytes. This study aims to enhance high-performance gel polymer electrolytes (HP-GPEs) by improving the ion transfer rate of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with sulfonated hexagonal boron nitride (known as white-graphene) and exploring how rheology influences ion-conduction within HP-GPEs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!