Nanostructured biocomposites based on bacterial cellulosic nanofibers compartmentalized by a soft hydroxyethylcellulose matrix coatingShow others and affiliations
2009 (English)In: Soft Matter, ISSN 1744-683X, E-ISSN 1744-6848, Soft Matter, Vol. 5, no 21, p. 4124-4130Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Biomimetic approaches involving environmentally-friendly synthetic pathways provide an opportunity to elaborate novel high-performance biocomposites. Here we have developed a low-energy biosynthetic system for the production of a high-strength composite material consisting of self-assembled and nanostructured cellulosic nanofibers. This biocomposite is analogous to natural composite materials with high strength and hierarchical organization such as wood or tendon. It was generated by growing the bacterium Acetobacter, which naturally produces cellulosic nanofibers, in the presence of hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC). Individual cellulose fibrils were coated by HEC and exhibited a smaller lateral dimension than pure bacterial cellulose (BC) fibrils. They self-assembled to form compartmentalized nanofibers and larger cellulose fibril aggregates compared to pure BC. The tensile strength of nanocomposite films prepared from the compartmentalized cellulosic nanofibers was 20% higher than that of pure BC sheets and wood cellulose nanopapers, and 60% higher than that of conventional BC/HEC blends, while no strain-to-failure decrease was observed. The thin nanoscale coating consisting of hydrated HEC significantly increased the mechanical performance of the nanocomposite films by provoking compartmentalization of individual fibrils.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2009. Vol. 5, no 21, p. 4124-4130
Keywords [en]
Acetobacters, Bacterial cellulose, Bio-composites, Biocomposite, Environmentally-friendly, Hierarchical organizations, High strength, High-strength composites, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lateral dimension, Low energies, Matrix coating, Mechanical performance, Nano-scale coatings, Nano-structured, Nanocomposite film, Natural composite materials, Self-assembled, Synthetic pathways
National Category
Composite Science and Engineering Nano Technology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ri:diva-29599DOI: 10.1039/b907838jScopus ID: 2-s2.0-70350117835OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ri-29599DiVA, id: diva2:1098426
Note
cited By 49
2017-05-242017-05-242024-08-06Bibliographically approved