Preparation and Properties of Vegetable-Oil-Based Thioether Polyol and Ethyl Cellulose Supramolecular Composite Films

Ethyl cellulose(EC),an important biomass-based material,has excellent film-forming properties.Nevertheless,the high interchain hydrogen bond interaction leads to a high glass transition temperature of EC,which makes it too brittle to be used widely.The hydroxyl group on EC can form a supramolecular system in the form of a non-covalent bond with an effective plasticizer.In this study,an important vegetable-oil-based derivative named dimer fatty acid was used to prepare a novel special plasticizer for EC.Dimer-fatty-acid-based thioether polyol(DATP)was synthesized and used to modify ethyl cellulose films.The supramolecular composite films of DATP and ethyl cellulose were designed using the newly-formed van der Waals force.The thermal stability,morphology,hydrophilicity,and mechanical properties of the composite films were all tested.Pure EC is fragile,and the addition of DATP makes the ethyl cellulose films more flexible.The elongation at the break of EC supramolecular films increased and the tensile strength decreased with the increasing DATP content.The elongation at the break of EC/DATP(60/40)and EC/DATP(50/50)was up to 40.3%and 43.4%,respectively.Noticeably,the thermal initial degradation temperature of the film with 10%DATP is higher than that of pure EC,which may be attributed to the formation of a better supramolecular system in this composite film.The application of bio-based material(EC)is environmentally friendly,and the novel DATP can be used as a special and effective plasticizer to prepare flexible EC films,making it more widely used in energy,chemical industry,materials,agriculture,medicine,and other fields.

Facile Fabrication of Conductive Paper-based Materials from Tunicate Cellulose Nanocrystals and Polydopamine-decorated Graphene Oxide

Conductive papers made from graphene and its derivatives are important for the development of electronic devices; however, elastomer-based matrices usually make it difficult for the conductive sheets to form continuous conductive networks. In this work, we used tunicate-derived cellulose nanocrystals （TCNC） instead of traditional elastomers as the matrix for polydopamine （PDA）-coated and reduced graphene oxide （GO） to prepare conductive paper, which, at a low concentration, were better for the formation of conductive networks from conductive sheets. It was found that the Young’s modulus of the conductive paper produced via this strategy reached as high as 7 GPa. Meanwhile, owing to the partial reduction of GO during the polymerization of dopamine, the conductivity of the conductive paper reached as high as 1.3×10-5 S/cm when the PDA-coated GO content was 1 wt%, which was much higher than the conductivity of pure GO （-4.60×10-8 S/cm）. This work provides a new strategy for preparing environmentally friendly conductive papers with good mechanical properties and low conductive fller content, which may be used to produce high-performance, low-cost electronic devices.

Efficient oil-water separation by novel biodegradable all cellulose composite filter paper

Industrial production and domestic discharge produce a large amount of oily wastewater, which seriously affects the stability of the ecological environment. Membrane separation technology provides another path to treating oily wastewater. And appropriate surface modification of the membrane helps to achieve high efficiency of treating oily wastewater. With green, economy and stability been more concerned.The focal research reports a completely biodegradable all cellulose composite filter paper(ACCFP) composed of Ⅰ-cellulose macrofibers and Ⅱ-cellulose matrix. It is a simple one-step impregnation method to adjust the surface microstructure of the pristine filter paper(PFP), and it does not involve with chemical reaction. The pre-wetted ACCFP consist of Ⅱ-cellulose hydrogel and Ⅰ-cellulose reinforcement in the process of oil-water separation. This layer of hydrogel is the fundamental to underwater superoleophobicity, which determines their eligibility for applications of efficient oil-water mixture or oil-in-water(oil/water) emulsion separation. The separation efficiency of oil-water mixture and oil/water emulsion exceed 95% and 99.9%, respectively. In addition, excellent mechanical properties of ACCFP in dry and wet conditions ensure its stability in service and prolong service life in applications. The focal study provides a new method for high-performance oil-water separation and it is more in line with sustainable chemistry.

Cellulose-based Antimicrobial Composites and Applications: A Brief Review

Cellulose-based antimicrobial composites,typically in the form of functional films and cloth,have received much attention in various applications,such as food,medical and textile industries.Cellulose is a natural polymer,and is highly biodegradable,green,and sustainable.Imparting antimicrobial properties to cellulose,will significantly enhance its applications so that its commercial value can be boosted.In this review paper,the use of cellulose for antimicrobial composites’preparation was discussed.Two different approaches:surface loading/coating and interior embedding,were focused.Three most widely-applied sectors:food,medical and textile industries,were highlighted.Nanocellulose,as a leading-edge cellulose material,its unique application on the antimicrobial composites,was particularly discussed.

Reinforcement of Lignin-Based Phenol-Formaldehyde Adhesive with Nano-Crystalline Cellulose (NCC): Curing Behavior and Bonding Property of Plywood

The curing behavior of lignin-based phenol-formaldehyde (LPF) resin with different contents of nano-crystalline cellulose (NCC) was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at different heating rates (5, 10 and 20&degC/min) and the bonding property was evaluated by the wet shear strength and wood failure of two-ply plywood panels after soaking in water (48 hours at room temperature and followed by 1-hour boiling). The test results indicated that the NCC content had little influence on the peak temperature, activation energy and the total heat of reaction of LPF resin at 5 and 10&degC/min. But at 20&degC/min, LPF0.00% (LPF resin without NCC) showed the highest total heat of reaction, while LPF0.25% (LPF resin containing 0.25% NCC content) and LPF0.50% (LPF resin containing 0.50% NCC content) gave the lowest value. The wet shear strength was affected by the NCC content to a certain extent. With regard to the results of one-way analysis of variance, the bonding quality could be improved by NCC and the optimum NCC content ranged from 0.25% to 0.50%. The wood failure was also affected by the NCC content, but the trend with respect to NCC content was not clear.

Celulose Paper-based Strapping Products for Green/Sustainable Packaging Needs

Paper products such as corrugated paperboards are the most common green packaging materials, which are renewable, sustainable, recyclable and biodegradable. However, the plastic or metal straps used to secure the carton boxes are not so green. At the end of packaging, the carton boxes can be recycled, but the plastic/metal straps have to be sorted out for disposal separately. This review focuses on: 1) the global trend of green packaging;2) conventional plastic/metal strapping materials for carton boxes;3) conventional market pulp baling with steel wire as the tying materials;4) cellulose fiber-based materials for strapping market pulp bales and carton boxes. New generation of cellulose paper straps are being developed for more challenging applications with superior strength properties and repulpability.

Lignin-containing Microfibrillated Cellulose Prepared from Corncob Residue via Calcium Hydroxide Co-grinding and Its Application in Paper Reinforcement

In this study,lignin-containing microfibrillated cellulose(MFC)was prepared from corncob residue after xylose extraction via co-grinding with calcium hydroxide.The product was then compared with the MFC obtained by direct grinding and applied to strengthen paper.The chemical composition and morphological structure analysis results showed that the corncob residue can be used to prepare lignin-containing MFC and does not require further purification.Moreover,the co-grinding with calcium hydroxide is easier to fibrillate corncob residue.The MFC obtained by cogrinding with calcium hydroxide had a higher aspect ratio,and its surface was coated with calcium carbonate nanoparticles.MFCs obtained by both the methods mentioned above had an obvious strengthening effect on paper.Compared with the paper without MFC,the tensile index,elongation,burst index,and folding strength of the paper with MFC obtained by co-grinding with calcium hydroxide significantly increased by 17.5%,22.1%,19.5%,and 157.1%,respectively.This study provides a novel idea for the utilization of corncob residue,which may enhance the value and promote the comprehensive utilization of corn by-products.

Synthesis of Microcrystalline Cellulose—Polyvinyl Alcohol Stabilized Polyvinyl Acetate Emulsion

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) colloid stabilized Polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) based wood adhesive has poor performance in highly humid conditions. Currently, the addition of natural fillers in the wood adhesive is one of the most effective ways to enhance the performance of PVAc wood adhesive in highly moist conditions. Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) are strong renewable, bio-based material and has great potential in a reinforcement of the polymeric matrix. Hence, the present work investigates the applicability of microcrystalline cellulose incorporated 3% and 5% in situ emulsion polymerization PVAc wood adhesives. Effect on physical, thermal and mechanical properties was studied by viscosity, pH, contact angle measurement, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and pencil hardness test of films. Emulsions with different proportions of MCC were prepared and the shear strength of the applied adhesive on wood was measured. The viscosity of the adhesives was increased by increasing the concentration of MCC. The mechanical properties like tensile strength of adhesives with MCC were measured by universal tensile machine (UTM). Thermal stability was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The tensile shear strength demonstrates that MCC can improve bonding strength as compared to PVAc Homo based adhesive in the wet condition which was validated through a contact angle study. The hardness of PVAc films were also changed positively by the addition of MCC. Here, we studied the effect of the addition of different concentrations of MCC materials in situ polymerization of PVAc on their performance properties.

Highly Improved Microstructure and Properties of Poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) Paper-based Materials via Hot Calendering Process

In this study,the effect of hot calendering process on the microstructure and properties of poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide)(PPTA) paper-based materials was investigated.The microstructures of the fracture surface,crystalline structure,and single fiber strength of the PPTA paperbased materials as well as the different bonding behaviors between the PPTA fibers and PPTA fibrids obtained before and after the hot calendering process were examined.The results indicated that a high linear pressure would result in a limited improvement of the strength owing to the unimproved paper structure.The optimal values of tensile index and dielectric strength of 56.6 N·m/g and 27.6 kV/mm,respectively,could only be achieved with a synergistic effects of hot calendering temperature and linear pressure(240℃ and 110 k N/m,respectively).This result suggested it was possible to achieve a significant reinforcement and improvement in the interfacial bonding of functional PPTA paper-based materials,and avoid the formation of unexpected pleats and cracks in PPTA paper-based materials during the hot calendering process.

Surfactant-Assisted Poly(lactic acid)/Cellulose Nanocrystal Bionanocomposite for Potential Application in Paper Coating

The current article addresses a new strategy for the preparation of polylactic acid/cellulose nanocrystal(PLA/CNCs)nanobiocomposite films with improved structural morphology,mechanical and barrier properties for food packaging applications.The addition of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB)and sodium lauryl sulfate(SLS)as cationic and anionic surfactants respectively,was found to play a crucial role in preventing re-aggregation of the CNCs during drying and improving the dispersion of CNCs in the PLA.The coated paper was characterized using mechanical tests,water vapor permeability(WVP),X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and air permeability.The results showed that the paper coated with PLA containing 7.5%CNCs and 0.15%CTAB based on weight of PLA,gives the highest measured paper properties,where an increase in tensile strength(+133%),Young’s modulus(+309%),tear index(+183%),burst(+60.8)and a decrease in air permeability(−92%)was obtained.

Green Nanocomposites Made With Polyvinyl Alcohol and Cellulose Nanofibers Isolated From Recycled Paper

This paper reports green nanocomposites made by blending polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)with cellulose nanofiber(CNF)isolated from recycled deinked copy/printing paper(DIP).The reinforcement effect of DIPCNF in the nanocomposites is compared with other CNFs isolated from native cotton and hardwood by means of TEMPO-oxidation.The prepared PVA-CNF nanocomposites are characterized in terms of morphology,chemical interaction,structural,thermal and mechanical properties.X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirm the reinforcing ability of cellulose nanofibers into PVA.By blending CNFs into PVA matrix,the thermal stability of the nanocomposites is improved and DIPCNF shows similar enhancement effect with COCNF and HWCNF.The prepared nanocomposites exhibit 50%Young’s modulus improvement by adding 6%of CNF and DIPCNF exhibits similar enhancement of the mechanical properties to COCNF and HWCNF in the nanocomposites.This indicates that the use of DIPCNF is beneficial for environment protection,resource retaining and save energy in comparison with COCNF and HWCNF.

WATER-BASED BINDERS USED IN PROCESS FORMAKING AUTOMOBLE FILTER PAPER

A method for making a automobile filter which includes impregnating a filter paper with a cross-linkable binder composition is discussed in the article. The water-based binder comprises a latex containing 80 wt% acrylic acid in the latex solids, and 20 wt% melthyl methacrylate, the binder also contains 5 parts of a cross-linking resin per 100 weight parts of latex solids and 5% parts of catalyst for the cross-linking resin based on the weight of the cross-linking resin. 4 wt% water-based polymer emulsion, on a solids basis, which is used to impregnate filter paper and rigidify it. Such impregnated filter paper has good dry and wet tensile strength and stiffness. The method has no impairing to the environment.

Literature Review of the Use of Zinc and Zinc Compounds in Paper-Based Microfluidic Devices

Zinc and its compounds, alloys and composites play an important role in the modern day world and find application in almost every aspect that can improve the quality of our lives. This ranges from supplements and pharmaceuticals that are meant to improve our health and wellbeing to additives meant to guard or reduce corrosion in metals. However, over the past several years, a new area of technology has been garnering a great deal of attention and has made use of zinc and its compounds. This is with reference to paper-based microfluidic technology that offers several advantages and that keeps expanding in the amount of applications it covers. In this paper, a review is offered for the applications that have used zinc or zinc compounds in paper-based microfluidic devices.

Flexible Paper-Based Li-ion Batteries: A Review

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have been fabricated in various ways to improve flexibility. Flexibility could be enhanced via active materials, separators, electrodes, and electrolytes, which could then be integrated to form flexible electronic devices with promising electrochemical properties compared to traditional non-flexible Li-ion batteries. Recent progress towards flexible Li- ion batteries fabrication, materials, and their electrochemical properties are investigated in this review. Additionally, recent developments in electronic devices utilizing flexible batteries and their future applications are explored. Portable and wearable electronics, as the primary beneficiaries of the flexible, rechargeable, and high-performance Li-ion batteries, are examined. In the end, various applications and challenges of flexible batteries in healthcare and various energy storage systems, considering practical implementation, are argued.

Review on cellulose paper-based electrodes for sustainable batteries with high energy densities

Powering the future,while maintaining strong socioeconomic growth and a cleaner environment,is going to be one of the biggest challenges faced by mankind nowadays.Thus,there is a transition from the use of fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.Cellulose,the main component of paper,represents a unique type of bio-based building blocks featuring exciting properties:low-cost,hierarchical fibrous structures,hydrophilicity,biocompatible,mechanical flexibility,and renewability,which make it perfect for use in paper-based sustainable energy storage devices.This review focuses on lithium-ion battery application of celluloses with cellulose at different scales,i.e.,cellulose microfibers,and nanocellulose,and highlights the new trends in the field.Recent advances and approaches to construct high mass loading paper electrodes toward high energy density batteries are evaluated and the limitations of paper-based cathodes are discussed.This will stimulate the use of natural resources and thereby the development of renewable electric energy systems based on sustainable technologies with low environmental impacts and carbon footprints.

Simple-structured hydrophilic sensors for sweat uric acid detection with laser-engraved polyimide electrodes and cellulose paper substrates

Accurate detection of uric acid(UA)is crucial for diagnosing gout,yet traditional sweat-based UA sensors continue to face challenges posed by complex and costly electrode fabrication methods,as well as weakly hydrophilic substrates.Here,we designed and developed simple,low-cost,and hydrophilic sweat UA detection sensors constructed by carbon electrodes and cellulose paper substrates.The carbon electrodes were made by carbonized polyimide films through a simple,one-step laser engraving method.Our electrodes are porous,possess a large specific surface area,and are flexible and conductive.The substrates were composed of highly hydrophilic cellulose paper that can effectively collect,store,and transport sweat.The constructed electrodes demonstrate high sensitivity of 0.4μA Lμmol^(-1)cm^(-2),wide linear range of 2–100μmol/L.In addition,our electrodes demonstrate high selectivity,excellent reproducibility,high flexibility,and outstanding stability against mechanical bending,temperature variations,and extended storage periods.Furthermore,our sensors have been proven to provide reliable results when detecting UA levels in real sweat and on real human skin.We envision that these sensors hold enormous potential for use in the prognosis,diagnosis,and treatment of gout.

A Review: On Smart Materials Based on Some Polysaccharides;within the Contextual Bigger Data, Insiders, “Improvisation” and Said Artificial Intelligence Trends

Smart Materials are along with Innovation attributes and Artificial Intelligence among the most used “buzz” words in all media. Central to their practical occurrence, many talents are to be gathered within new contextual data influxes. Has this, in the last 20 years, changed some of the essential fundamental dimensions and the required skills of the actors such as providers, users, insiders, etc.? This is a preliminary focus and prelude of this review. As an example, polysaccharide materials are the most abundant macromolecules present as an integral part of the natural system of our planet. They are renewable, biodegradable, carbon neutral with low environmental, health and safety risks and serve as structural materials in the cell walls of plants. Most of them are used, for many years, as engineering materials in many important industrial processes, such as pulp and papermaking and manufacture of synthetic textile fibres. They are also used in other domains such as conversion into biofuels and, more recently, in the design of processes using polysaccharide nanoparticles. The main properties of polysaccharides (e.g. low density, thermal stability, chemical resistance, high mechanical strength…), together with their biocompatibility, biodegradability, functionality, durability and uniformity, allow their use for manufacturing smart materials such as blends and composites, electroactive polymers and hydrogels which can be obtained 1) through direct utilization and/or 2) after chemical or physical modifications of the polysaccharides. This paper reviews recent works developed on polysaccharides, mainly on cellulose, hemicelluloses, chitin, chitosans, alginates, and their by-products (blends and composites), with the objectives of manufacturing smart materials. It is worth noting that, today, the fundamental understanding of the molecular level interactions that confer smartness to polysaccharides remains poor and one can predict that new experimental and theoretical tools will emerge to develop the necessary understanding of the structure-property-function relationships that will enable polysaccharide-smartness to be better understood and controlled, giving rise to the development of new and innovative applications such as nanotechnology, foods, cosmetics and medicine (e.g. controlled drug release and regenerative medicine) and so, opening up major commercial markets in the context of green chemistry.

Mechanism of Kinect-based virtual reality training for motor functional recovery of upper limbs after subacute stroke

The Kinect-based virtual reality system for the Xbox 360 enables users to control and interact with the game console without the need to touch a game controller, and provides rehabilitation training for stroke patients with lower limb dysfunctions. However, the underlying mechanism remains un- clear. In this study, 18 healthy subjects and five patients after subacute stroke were included. The five patients were scanned using functional MRI prior to training, 3 weeks after training and at a 12-week follow-up, and then compared with healthy subjects. The FugI-Meyer Assessment and Wolf Motor Function Test scores of the hemiplegic upper limbs of stroke patients were significantly increased 3 weeks after training and at the 12-week follow-up. Functional MRI results showed that contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex was activated after Kinect-based virtual reality training in the stroke patients compared with the healthy subjects. Contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex, the bilateral supplementary motor area and the ipsilateral cerebellum were also activated during hand-clenching in all 18 healthy subjects. Our findings indicate that Kinect-based virtual reality training could promote the recovery of upper limb motor function in subacute stroke patients, and brain reorganization by Kinect-based virtual reality training may be linked to the contralateral sen- sorimotor cortex.

Optimal Method for Production of Amorphous Cellulose with Increased Enzymatic Digestibility

In this paper,a simple and cheap method for producing of amorphous cellulose was studied by treating the initial cellulosic material(MCC and waste paper)with a cold solvent,such as aqueous solution of 7%NaOH/12%Urea,at the various ratios of the solvent to cellulose(v/w)(R).If was found that after treatment of cellulose materials with the solvent at R≥5,a completely amorphous cellulose(AC)is formed.Due to high digestibility,the AC with concentration of 50 g/L is converted to glucose almost completely for 48 h under the action of cellulolytic enzyme CTec-3 with a dose of 30 mg/g solid sample.Such sample can be used as an amorphous standard in the study of crystallinity degree and enzymatic hydrolysis of various types of cellulose and lignocellulose.It was found that enzymatic saccharification is most advantageous to carry out at elevated concentrations of AC,150 g/L.Due to high cost of MCC,it is preferable to use a cheap cellulose raw material,such as mixed waste paper(MWP),for the commercial production of AC and glucose.The resulting glucose can find application in biotechnology as a promising nutrient for various microorganisms.

Enantioseparation of some Racemic Compounds on Cellulose Tris (3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) Chiral Stationary Phase

Seven chiral compounds were resolved on cellulose tris (3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phase (CDMPC-CSP) using n-hexane/alcohol as mobile phase. Solvent strength and structural characteristics of the compounds effecting on the retention and resolution were discussed. Satisfactory separation was obtained.