Swelling Resistance and Water-Induced Shape Memory Performances of Sisal Cellulose Nanofibers/Polyethylene Glycol/Citric Acid Nanocellulose Papers

Abstract

In this work, a kind of nanocomposite paper was obtained by evaporation-induced self-assembly of a mixture of sisal cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the matrix and citric acid (CA) as a cross-linking agent. The CNF/PEG/CA paper exhibited good water swelling resistance which could be controlled by changing the concentration of CA. In addition, this nanocomposite paper exhibited good mechanical properties and water-induced shape memory performance. In particular, when the dosage of CA was 30 wt.%, the tensile strength and the tensile modulus of the CNF/PEG/CA paper after swelling were 25.2 MPa and 813.0 MPa, respectively. Further, this nanocomposite showed great potential for water-induced shape memory materials with fast response speed. The shape recovery rate (Rr) of the CNF/PEG/CA paper reached 90.2% with 30 wt.% CA after being immersed in water for 11 s. It is anticipated that our current work can be used to exploit more efficient methods to overcome the poor water swelling resistance of the cellulose-based shape memory materials.

Multistimuli-Responsive Shape-Memory Composites with a Water-Assisted Self-Healing Function Based on Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Poly(vinyl alcohol)/MXene

“…This trend can be attributed to the altered interactions between MXene and the hydrophilic groups in CMC and PVA. Although a higher concentration of hydrophilic groups typically leads to an increased swelling rate, it will also facilitate the formation of a more dense structure by interacting with MXene nanosheets, which prevents the penetration of water molecules, hindering the dissolution process . Thus, despite the abundance of the hydrophilic surface groups of MXene, increasing the MXene loading will impede the swelling process of the CMC/PVA@MXene composite.…”

Shape Memory Polymers as Smart Materials: A Review

“…Polyvinyl alcohol [97], composites based on polyurethane [98] and polyethylene glycol [99] are considered typical shape memory polymers that have water response.…”

Preparation of High-Toughness Cellulose Nanofiber/Polylactic Acid Bionanocomposite Films via Gel-like Cellulose Nanofibers

“…This relates to the plasticization effect when small molecules of PEG are miscible with PLA through hydrogen bonding. Additionally, it serves as a compatibilizer between CNFs and polymer matrix, leading to an enhancement in the mechanical performance of polymer composites. , Moreover, the presence of PEG helps prevent agglomeration between cellulose fibers in the polymer matrix. , In a similar study, Cailloux et al formulated a melt-processable masterbatch consisting of CNFs and PEG, facilitating the incorporation of these components through melt processing with PLA. The morphological and rheological properties of the resulting PLA nanocomposite confirmed well-dispersed and strong interaction between CNFs and PLA matrix.…”

“…Additionally, it serves as a compatibilizer between CNFs and polymer matrix, leading to an enhancement in the mechanical performance of polymer composites. 13 , 24 Moreover, the presence of PEG helps prevent agglomeration between cellulose fibers in the polymer matrix. 4 , 25 In a similar study, Cailloux et al 6 formulated a melt-processable masterbatch consisting of CNFs and PEG, facilitating the incorporation of these components through melt processing with PLA.…”