Bio-based
specialized
components have
emerged as a promising trend to limit the use of petroleum derivatives.
Conversely, the current use of electronic systems has conditioned
the emission of electromagnetic waves that interfere with high-precision
devices and harm human health. Thus, robust, ultralight, and conductive
nanocellulose-based aerogels paired with carbon nanotubes appear as
an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding biomaterial to reduce
the dispersion of microwaves emitted or received from a device. This
study proposes a reliable aerogel system to deflect radiation by integrating
TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils, cationic cellulose nanocrystals,
and sodium alginate, with carbon nanotubes at various concentrations.
After inducing gelation, the aerogels were obtained by freeze drying.
According to zeta potential and FTIR analysis data of nanocellulose,
the aerogel frame was induced by electrostatic attraction and hydrogen
bonds between the cellulosic matrix and the nanofillers. Finally,
lightweight (density < 0.075 g/cm3), highly porous (porosity
> 95.47%), conductive (up to 26.2 S/m), mechanically resistant,
and EMI-protective aerogels were obtained, proving their potential
to be used as green and lightweight shielding elements against electromagnetic
radiation.
This study reports a green and powerful strategy for preparing cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)/graphene oxide (GO)/natural rubber (NR) nanocomposites hosting a 3D hierarchical conductive network. Due to good dispersibility and amphiphilic nature of CNC, well dispersed CNC/GO nanohybrids were prepared. Hydrogen bonding interactions between CNC and GO greatly enhanced the stability of the CNC/GO nanohybrids. CNC/GO nanohybrids were introduced into NR latex under sonication and the mixture was cast. Self‐assembled CNC/GO nanohybrids preferentially dispersed in the interstice between latex microspheres allowing the construction of a 3D hierarchical conductive network. By combining strong hydrogen bonds and 3D conductive network, both electrical conductivity and mechanical properties (tensile strength and modulus) have been significantly improved. The electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite with 4 wt% GO and 5 wt% CNC exhibited an increase of nine orders of magnitude compared to the nanocomposite with only 4 wt% GO; meanwhile, the electrical percolation threshold was 3‐fold lower than for NR/GO composites.
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