Cellulose最新文献

{"title":"Hydrophilic/superhydrophilic gradient in hydrogel-based TFC membranes: a strategy to enhance forward osmosis performance","authors":"Roghayyeh Tavassoli,&nbsp;Majid Peyravi","doi":"10.1007/s10570-026-07204-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10570-026-07204-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Thin-film composite (TFC) membranes are widely used in forward osmosis (FO), but their performance is often hindered by the internal concentration polarization (ICP). Enhancing membrane hydrophilicity and increasing support layer (SL) porosity are effective strategies to mitigate this issue. In this study, a novel hydrogel-based TFC membrane was developed with a distributed hydrophilic/superhydrophilic support layer to improve water transport and reduce ICP. The membrane was fabricated by incorporating porous rice bran (RB) particles and coating superhydrophilic CaCO₃ nanoparticles onto different regions of the SL, creating a gradient from the support to the active layer (AL). The optimized TFC-RB-CaCO3 membrane exhibited significantly enhanced porosity, superhydrophilicity (contact angle = 0°), and pure water permeability (PWP), leading to improved water transport. The FO water flux reached 45.8 L/m² h, more than twice that of the pristine membrane (20.57 L/m² h). Additionally, the A parameter (water permeability) increased more significantly than the B parameter (salt permeability), which is a favorable outcome for membrane performance. The modified membrane also showed slightly improved salt rejection due to its narrower mean pore size and a considerable reduction in the S-value, indicating lower ICP. These findings highlight that superhydrophilicity can significantly enhance FO membrane performance without compromising selectivity, making this an effective strategy for next-generation TFC membranes.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":511,"journal":{"name":"Cellulose","volume":"33 12","pages":"7321 - 7337"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149222664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biosynthesis of probiotic bacterial cellulose via co-culture of K. xylinus with L. plantarum and P. pentosaceus: its intrinsic antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus","authors":"Mainak Chaudhuri,&nbsp;Nabanita Saha,&nbsp;Poulami Chatterjee,&nbsp;Petr Saha","doi":"10.1007/s10570-026-07197-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10570-026-07197-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Bacterial cellulose (BC) has attracted considerable attention in biomedical research as a multifaceted, versatile biodegradable and biocompatible material with high porosity, excellent mechanical and tensile strength, high water-holding capacity and large surface area. However, instead of being a polymer of interest for healthcare applications, it lacks innate antibacterial properties. Researchers have employed several methodologies to incorporate antibacterial properties into BC, ranging from the use of metal nanoparticles to the application of commercial antibiotics. However, these methodologies come with various limitations (high cost, side effects, etc.). Probiotic bacterial cellulose (PBC), as a next-generation emerging antibacterial biopolymer, can fill this gap by combining the structural excellence of bacterial cellulose with the bioactivity of probiotic metabolites [bacteriocin and other exopolysaccharides (EPS) secreted by probiotic bacteria]. Therefore, in this work, PBC has been synthesized by in-situ co-culture of <i>Komagataeibacter xylinus </i>(<i>K. xylinus</i>), a BC-producing bacterium, with two different probiotic bacteria, <i>Lactobacillus plantarum </i>(<i>L. plantarum</i>) and <i>Pediococcus pentosaceus </i>(<i>P. pentosaceus</i>), having antibacterial properties against common infectious pathogens <i>Escherichia coli </i>(<i>E. coli</i>) and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (<i>S. aureus</i>). The structural and thermal properties of the newly developed biomaterial (PBC) are assessed using scanning electron microscope, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis, confirming its similarity with BC. To confirm the observed antibacterial property within PBC, <i>L. plantarum</i> and <i>P. pentosaceus</i> were allowed to grow individually in de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe medium, and the secretory metabolite (bacteriocin) was isolated. Bacteriocins are a large group of antibacterial protein compounds that have been isolated from both probiotic bacteria (<i>L. plantarum</i> and <i>P. pentosaceus</i>) and identified by gel permeation chromatography and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The antibacterial activity of all the PBC mats is evaluated by agar disc diffusion method, resulting in a significant inhibitory effect against the abovementioned pathogens (<i>E. coli</i> and <i>S. aureus</i>), attributed to the presence of bacteriocins inside the PBC matrix, which are released from probiotic bacteria during the PBC synthesis by the in-situ co-culture process. These findings make PBC a promising biomaterial for healthcare, which is synthesized by the combined action of BC producing bacteria and probiotic bacteria.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":511,"journal":{"name":"Cellulose","volume":"33 12","pages":"7175 - 7192"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149222574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainable PLA biocomposite reinforced with opuntia ficus indica fibers: linking fiber treatments to material performance","authors":"Brahim Remila,&nbsp;Arezki Alane,&nbsp;Idris Zembouai,&nbsp;Aida Benhamida,&nbsp;Magali Fois,&nbsp;Antoine Kervoelen,&nbsp;Mustapha Kaci,&nbsp;Stéphane Bruzaud","doi":"10.1007/s10570-026-07167-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10570-026-07167-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The paper investigates the effects of chemical surface treatments applied to <i>Opuntia ficus indica</i> fibers (OFIF) used as reinforcement in poly(lactide)(PLA)-based biocomposites. The fiber surface is modified using three different chemical treatments: alkaline, alkaline/silane, and combined alkaline/maleic anhydride treatments. PLA/OFIF biocomposites are elaborated by melt blending at 80/20 weight ratio. Morphology, mechanical performance, viscoelastic behavior, crystallinity, and wettability of the biocomposite samples were evaluated. Mechanical properties indicate that PLA/OFIF biocomposites treated with alkaline/silane and alkaline/maleic anhydride combinations exhibit a significant enhancement in tensile strength, reaching 91 and 95%, respectively, compared with the untreated biocomposites. In parallel, Young′s modulus increases notably from approximately 2517 MPa for neat PLA to 3920 MPa for biocomposites containing fibers treated with the alkaline/maleic anhydride combination. The improvements result from a better interfacial adhesion between the components, as observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This is consistent with the viscoelastic data. The study highlights the effectiveness of OFIF surface treatments, particularly the alkaline/maleic anhydride combination for biocomposites properties reinforcement.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":511,"journal":{"name":"Cellulose","volume":"33 12","pages":"7053 - 7077"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149222666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Highly conductive regenerated cellulose fibers containing high-quality single-walled carbon nanotubes","authors":"Ken Mukai,&nbsp;Takahiro Baba,&nbsp;Rihito Watanabe,&nbsp;Wei Ming Chu,&nbsp;Fumika Inada,&nbsp;Naoko Tajima,&nbsp;Kazufumi Kobashi,&nbsp;Takahiro Morimoto,&nbsp;Yuichi Kato,&nbsp;Masahiro Yamamura,&nbsp;Takushi Sugino,&nbsp;Konami Izumi,&nbsp;Hirobumi Ushijima,&nbsp;Ken Kokubo,&nbsp;Toshiya Okazaki","doi":"10.1007/s10570-026-07189-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10570-026-07189-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study demonstrates the successful fabrication of highly conductive regenerated cellulose fibers (RCFs) through the proper mixing of single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) retaining the high quality at concentration of 1.0–3.0 wt% in the dispersions. The CNT dispersions afford a viscous spinnable dope to create the CNT cellulose composite fibers. The conductivity of the 2.4 wt% CNT-containing RCFs reached a maximum of 6.7 S/cm, that is ~10 times higher than that of CNT-cellulose composite fibers reported before.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":511,"journal":{"name":"Cellulose","volume":"33 12","pages":"7161 - 7173"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10570-026-07189-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149222719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanically robust and highly hydrated curcumin-loaded lysine-crosslinked carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels for steroid-free atopic dermatitis treatment","authors":"Xinyan Zhang,&nbsp;Jingqiu Zhou,&nbsp;Xue Han,&nbsp;Xu Xing,&nbsp;Kun Yang,&nbsp;Tao Wu,&nbsp;Hao Li,&nbsp;Xujia Hao,&nbsp;Qiang Du,&nbsp;Xinwei Liu,&nbsp;Tianxing Gong,&nbsp;Hongrui Leng,&nbsp;Shibo Wei","doi":"10.1007/s10570-026-07201-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10570-026-07201-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) exhibits excellent biocompatibility and water retention, yet its high hydrophilicity often leads to excessive swelling and poor mechanical stability in physiological environments, limiting its utility in topical skin therapies. In this study, we developed a robust, chemically crosslinked CMC-based hydrogel loaded with curcumin (Cur@CL) using natural lysine as a non-toxic crosslinker. This green crosslinking strategy significantly reinforced the hydrogel network, achieving a swelling ratio of 3074 ± 226% and a compressive stress of 20.06 ± 1.0 kPa. The Cur@CL hydrogel demonstrated a sustained curcumin release profile of 83.98 ± 5.68% over 144 h, ensuring prolonged local bioavailability. In vitro, Cur@CL exhibited excellent cytocompatibility with L929 fibroblasts, accelerated fibroblast-associated wound closure, and reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels by 62.97%. Furthermore, in a 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD) mouse model, topical application of Cur@CL significantly alleviated clinical symptoms, reducing epidermal thickening by 71.5% compared with the DNCB-challenged model group, with no detectable systemic toxicity. This study presents a simple, tunable, and eco-friendly cellulose-based hydrogel platform for the effective, non-steroidal management of AD.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":511,"journal":{"name":"Cellulose","volume":"33 12","pages":"7295 - 7320"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149222686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Photodegradation of different nanocellulose substrates","authors":"Jenny Wiklund,&nbsp;Joice Kaschuk,&nbsp;Kim Miikki,&nbsp;Alp Karakoç,&nbsp;Jaana Vapaavuori,&nbsp;Jouni Paltakari","doi":"10.1007/s10570-026-07192-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10570-026-07192-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The increased interest in the development of sustainable materials for printed electronics necessitates durability studies in their operating environments. Hence, in this paper, the effects of photodegradation on five different nanocellulose and four reference substrates were examined. Changes in optical, surface, and mechanical properties were analyzed in detail by studying the color intensity, total color difference, contact angle, surface energy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and bending resistance of the substrates before and after photodegradation treatment. The nanocellulose substrates analyzed in this study were cellulose nanofibers (made using sodium washing, supermasscolloider, three passes in microfluidizer and cast drying) (CNF3Cs), acetylated cellulose nanofibers (ACNFs), cellulose nanofibers (made using six passes in microfluidizer, air pressure filtration, and hot pressing) (CNF6Hs), cellulose nanofibers produced using 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO)-mediated oxidization (TCNFs), and cellulose nanofibers containing lignin residuals made using TEMPO-mediated oxidation (LTCNFs). All examined properties changed significantly for CNF3C, LTCNF, and opaque poly(ethylene terephthalate) (oPET) substrates. The newspaper (NP) displayed the largest changes in all properties except for the bending resistance. CNF6H, TCNF, polyimide (PI), and transparent poly(ethylene terephthalate) (tPET) substrates demonstrated less degradation compared to the substrates mentioned above. The ACNF substrate did not show any notable changes during the photodegradation treatment. Thus, this study demonstrates that especially ACNF films could be suitable and durable alternatives to conventional plastic substrates, such as PET or PI, used in printed electronics.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":511,"journal":{"name":"Cellulose","volume":"33 12","pages":"7097 - 7110"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10570-026-07192-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149222662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Role of water adsorption in modulating bonding and failure behavior of bamboo/epoxy interface","authors":"Huali Hao,&nbsp;Denvid Lau,&nbsp;Shulong Ye,&nbsp;Yuxuan Chen,&nbsp;Shan Li","doi":"10.1007/s10570-026-07193-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10570-026-07193-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Bamboo is a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics due to its rapid growth, superior mechanical properties, and excellent carbon sequestration capacity. However, the long-term performance of bamboo-based composites in humid environments remains a critical challenge, particularly regarding moisture-induced interfacial failure between bamboo and adhesives. This study investigates how interfacial molecular morphology evolves during water absorption and modulates the interface behavior of bamboo/epoxy in laminated bamboo, using both experimental and computational approaches. Results reveal that although water disrupts native hydrogen bonds within cellulose chains, cellulose microfibrils (CNFs) retain stiffness through bridging hydrogen bonds with water molecules. Furthermore, water-mediated bridging hydrogen bonds at the CNF/epoxy interface−stronger than the initial polar-polar interactions, along with intensified dipole-correlated interactions, significantly enhance interfacial bonding, resulting in a transient increase in flexural modulus. With continued moisture uptake, unstable gauche-trans and trans-gauche conformations increasingly dominate hydroxymethyl orientations, promoting weak polar-water interactions that disrupt interchain bonding, reduce crystallinity, and lower CNF stiffness. As inter-sheet cohesion deteriorates to the level of self-associated hydrogen bonds at the interface, cracks propagate into CNFs, shifting the failure mode from adhesive debonding to multilayer delamination. This work provides molecular-level insights into moisture-induced failure mechanisms and guides design of durable bamboo composites.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":511,"journal":{"name":"Cellulose","volume":"33 12","pages":"6979 - 6997"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149222665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hibiscus sabdariffa L. extract and cellulose fiber-reinforced antibacterial starch composite films for sustainable food packaging","authors":"Gozde Gecim,&nbsp;Gulsum Kalemtas,&nbsp;Ayse Kalemtas","doi":"10.1007/s10570-026-07191-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10570-026-07191-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study aimed to develop an antibacterial, biodegradable food packaging material that meets the food industry’s demanding requirements while reducing its environmental impact. Developing starch-based composite films reinforced with the natural antibacterial agent <i>Hibiscus sabdariffa </i>L<i>.</i> extract and food-grade cellulose fiber (CF) is essential for improving the films’ mechanical properties and promoting sustainable food packaging. The starch-hibiscus films with and without CF showed high antibacterial activity against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (22.0–23.7 mm) and <i>Escherichia coli</i> (18.0–20.7 mm), along with good antioxidant activity (78.8–80.0%). In the food packaging analysis, unwrapped blueberries exhibited approximately 35% weight loss after 12 days, while blueberries wrapped with starch-based films showed significantly lower weight loss values (10–12%). The starch–hibiscus film reinforced with 15% CF resulted in the lowest weight loss, demonstrating the enhanced moisture barrier properties of the developed composite films. Furthermore, the addition of 15% CF increased tensile strength (TS) from 1.34 to 2.60 MPa, resulting in a 94% increase. However, increasing the CF beyond 15% decreased the TS value to 2.26 MPa due to agglomeration. Incorporating 10% CF increased % elongation at break (EB) from ~ 44.9 to ~ 53.4%, whereas adding more CF reduced EB. Thus, a 10% CF loading is optimal for enhancing the TS and flexibility of the films. Incorporating CF into the starch-hibiscus-based films reduced the moisture content of the films. The starch-hibiscus film had a hydrophilic surface, initially characterized by a contact angle of ~ 19°. As the CF reinforcement increased (10, 15, and 20%), the contact angle values increased to ~ 30°, ~ 36°, and ~ 35°, respectively. These results revealed that the incorporation of CF enhances the water repellency to a limited extent, as the films remain within the hydrophilic range (&lt; 90°).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":511,"journal":{"name":"Cellulose","volume":"33 11","pages":"6817 - 6840"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149027649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bioactive silver(I) complex delivered via bacterial cellulose and Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 composites for skin cancer therapy","authors":"Silmara C. Lazarini Frajácomo,&nbsp;Augusto Henrique Piva,&nbsp;Hernane da Silva Barud,&nbsp;Eliane Trovatti,&nbsp;Tamires de Souza Nossa,&nbsp;Bernardo Castro-Dominguez,&nbsp;Regina Celia Galvão Frem,&nbsp;Bruna C. Lustri,&nbsp;Douglas H. Nakahata,&nbsp;Pedro P. Corbi,&nbsp;Wilton R. Lustri","doi":"10.1007/s10570-026-07190-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10570-026-07190-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Topical antimicrobial strategies that combine targeted drug delivery with selective cytotoxicity are critically needed for treating infected skin lesions, especially those complicated by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Here, we report the synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of a silver(I) complex with the sulfonamide probenecid (Ag–PROB) and its integration into a bacterial cellulose (BC) based composite with zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) for controlled release applications. We developed two delivery platforms, Ag–PROB@BC and Ag–PROB@BC/ZIF-8, with the latter incorporating the metal–organic framework, and assessed their antimicrobial and antitumor activities. Ag–PROB demonstrated potent, selective in vitro cytotoxicity against a panel of tumor cell lines, including pulmonary adenocarcinoma (A549, GI₅₀ = 35.77 μmol L⁻¹) and murine melanoma (B16, GI₅₀= 35.77 μmol L⁻¹), with minimal effects on non-tumorigenic cells (e.g., HUVEC, GI₅₀= 202.06 μmol L⁻¹ and Hakata, GI = 249.16 μmol L⁻¹). Both delivery systems showed sustained release in disk diffusion and Franz cell tests, with no observed DNA interaction, and in vivo toxicity was confirmed in <i>Tenebrio molitor</i> larvae. The Ag–PROB@BC/ZIF-8 composite displayed improved release profiles, providing a versatile platform for topical antimicrobial and antitumoral therapy. Our findings highlight a synergistic approach that combines metal-based therapeutics, bio-derived scaffolds, and ZIF-8 to create advanced multifunctional materials for skin cancer treatment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":511,"journal":{"name":"Cellulose","volume":"33 12","pages":"7257 - 7274"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10570-026-07190-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149222663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanical properties of cellulose hydrogels prepared by dissolution/gelation in molten lithium salt hydrates","authors":"Chufan Zhou,&nbsp;Yuhang Jia,&nbsp;Patrik Ahvenainen,&nbsp;Paavo Penttilä,&nbsp;Kayoko Kobayashi,&nbsp;Masahisa Wada","doi":"10.1007/s10570-026-07195-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10570-026-07195-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The solubility and gelation of cellulose in molten lithium salt hydrates (LiCl, LiBr, and LiI) were investigated, and the structures and mechanical properties of the resulting hydrogels were evaluated using various characterization techniques. Cellulose was dissolved in LiCl·2H₂O, LiBr·3-5H₂O, and LiI·5-6H₂O at 140 °C for 1 h, resulting in the formation of gels. Self-supporting hydrogels were obtained by adjusting the initial cellulose concentrations. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the hydrogels possessed a three-dimensional network structure of 23–27 nm wide nanofibers, and X-ray diffraction revealed low-crystallinity cellulose II. Small-angle X-ray scattering analysis further revealed the presence of primary structures within the nanofibers. Compression tests yielded J-shaped stress–strain curves that are typical for soft materials. The hydrogels withstood an 80% strain without fracture; however, they exhibited plastic deformation. The elastic moduli increased with the cellulose content, following the order LiBr &gt; LiCl &gt; LiI at equal solid contents. The higher modulus of the LiBr hydrogels likely resulted from the dense network of smooth, continuous nanofibrils. This simple method employing lithium salt solutions yields tunable cellulose hydrogels with potential applications as sustainable nanomaterials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":511,"journal":{"name":"Cellulose","volume":"33 12","pages":"7445 - 7458"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149222715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}