Comparison between Cellulose Nanocrystal and Cellulose Nanofibril Reinforced Poly(ethylene oxide) Nanofibers and Their Novel Shish-Kebab-Like Crystalline Structures

Abstract

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) nanofiber mats were produced by electrospinning. Biobased cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) as reinforcement nanofillers were also added to the polymer to produce composite nanofiber mats. The effects of the two cellulose nanofillers on the rheological properties of the PEO solutions and the microstructure, crystallization, and mechanical properties of the mats were systematically compared. The microstructural disparity between the CNCs and CNFs led to significant differences in the solution viscosity, nanofiber morphology and microstructure of the composite nanofiber mats. A unique shish-kebab-like crystalline structure was discovered in both pure and filled PEO nanofibers. Both CNCs and CNFs showed strong reinforcing effects on the nanofiber mats.

Production of biodegradable starch nanocomposites using cellulose nanocrystals extracted from coconut fibers

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Morphological and property investigations of carboxylated cellulose nanofibers extracted from different biological species

“…Its crystalline entity is the basic structural component of the cell wall in all green plants, as well as in certain algae and some biofilms synthesized by bacteria (Habibi et al 2010;Klemm et al 2005). ''Cellulose nanofibers'' is a term referring to nanostructured cellulose, including both cellulose nanocrystals (also known as cellulose nanowhiskers) and cellulose nanofibrils (also known as microfibrillated cellulose) (Eichhorn et al 2010;Xu et al 2014). Cellulose nanocrystals have short lengths (of the order of several hundred nanometers) and high crystallinity, while cellulose nanofibrils are long and flexible fibrils ([1 micron in length) but contain more non-crystalline defects than cellulose nanocrystals.…”

Review of nanocellulose for sustainable future materials

“…35 Recently, difference of CNCs and CNFs in reinforcing efficiencies of electrospun PEO nanofibers was reported. 52 Although 1% of CNCs and 4% of CNFs showed the highest E and S t , the composite fibers became too brittle and lowered toughness as further increasing their fillers. When they changed the PEO composite processing to solvent casting, 7% of the cellulose fillers was the optimum loading unlike electrospinning PEO composite.…”