Very Strong, Super‐Tough, Antibacterial, and Biodegradable Polymeric Materials with Excellent UV‐Blocking Performance

Abstract

In this work, inspired by the dynamic sacrificial hydrogen bonds in biological materials, a very strong, super-tough, antibacterial, and cost-effective biodegradable poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposite material was developed by incorporating the nanoscale antibacterial agent TA@LSÀ Ag. TA@LSÀ Ag was prepared from the green biomass tannic acid (TA) and sodium lignosulfonate (LS), and was facilely incorporated into the PVA matrix with a homogeneously interspersed nanoparticle size of about 20 nm. The PVA nanocomposite film with 2 wt % addition of TA@LSÀ Ag achieved the highest specific toughness of 262 J g À 1 among the PVA-based films to date, which is far higher than that of natural spider silk (150-190 J g À 1), as well as a very high tensile strength of 131.6 MPa. The excellent tensile strength and superior toughness were attributed to synergy of the nanophase separation structure and the intense hydrogen-bonding interactions between the nanoparticles and PVA matrix. The PVA/TA@LSÀ Ag nanocomposite films exhibited good antibacterial properties, despite the extremely low silver content (0.032-0.32 wt %). TA@LSÀ Ag also endowed the PVA films with excellent antioxidant and UV-shielding performance. As the biomass-derived LS and TA and the PVA matrix are all biodegradable, this work offers a facile strategy for preparing high-performance antibacterial and biodegradable polymeric materials.

Antibacterial lignin-based nanoparticles and their use in composite materials

“…In this section, the different antibacterial composite materials containing LigNPs, alone or in combination with other polymers or metals, will be reviewed. Such materials can be prepared by incorporating previously synthesized NPs, 130–133 or using an in situ approach where the NP synthesis takes place in the material. 87,134–136 Some of these materials include films, hydrogels, fibers, and foams, which have been validated as food packaging materials, wound dressings, medical coatings, or in other biomedical applications (Fig.…”

Facile fabrication of a polyvinyl alcohol-based hydrophobic fluorescent film via the Hantzsch reaction for broadband UV protection

“…Moreover, nanoparticles readily leach from the substrate and cause harm to the environment. 10,21,22 Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a water-soluble polymer exhibits the advantages of being biodegradable, biocompatible, and cost-effective. In the past few years, the preparations of functional hydrogels, [23][24][25] aerogels, [26][27][28] plastics, 29 and films [30][31][32] have received extensive attention.…”

“…However, the transparency of materials often decreases in these cases and the UV absorbents are unstable and exhibit poor dispersion. 22,33,35,36 Therefore, it is a more effective method to fabricate PVA-based UV-blocking films with stable UVabsorption groups through chemical modification. Thanks to its polyhydroxyl structures, PVA can be easily chemically modified to fabricate functional materials.…”

Long-Acting Ultraviolet-Blocking Mechanism of Lignin: Generation and Transformation of Semiquinone Radicals

“…The most commonly used UV-blocking agents are small molecules with one or two aromatic rings such as octyl methoxyl cinnamon (OMC) and avobenzone (AMDM), which easily degrade into harmful radicals due to poor photostability and are prone to interactions with lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, resulting in several permeation problems. , Meanwhile, these chemical UV blockers cause destruction of the marine ecosystem. Inorganic UV blockers such as zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) easily produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) or degrade materials under radiation. , Surface modification is inevitable to eliminate their photocatalytic activity. Botanical polyphenol, anthraquinone, and flavone exhibit a good UV-absorbing ability and biocompatibility; however, they have shortcomings such as low molecular weight, poor photostability, and high separation cost. − It is urgent to develop a natural polymeric UV-blocking agent.…”

“…Inorganic UV blockers such as zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) easily produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) or degrade materials under radiation. 6,7 Surface modification is inevitable to eliminate their photocatalytic activity. Botanical polyphenol, anthraquinone, and flavone exhibit a good UVabsorbing ability and biocompatibility; however, they have shortcomings such as low molecular weight, poor photostability, and high separation cost.…”