Abstract
The goal of this study is to explore a new strategy to improve the mechanical and hydrophobic properties of bacterial cellulose (BC) mats. The present work is the first to report the preparation of in situ self-assembled BC nanocomposites using electrospun hydrophobic poly(lactic acid) (PLA) or PLA/lipids (PLA/Lip) nanofiber mats as foundation for BC nanofiber growth. Adding electrospun PLA mats to the BC culture media led to a two-fold increase in toughness with a 52% increase in elongation of the nanocomposites with regard to BC. The incorporation of electrospun PLA and PLA/Lip nanofiber mats lowered the moisture regain and water vapor transmission of BC nanocomposites relative to pure BC mats. The interfacial bonding between the individual components of a nanocomposite is a key factor for the improvement of composite strength, stiffness, and barrier properties; thus additional strategies to improve interaction between hydrophilic BC and hydrophobic PLA fibers need to be explored.
Highlights
The development of sustainable natural-based biopolymer to replace petrochemical-based materials has attracted much attention over the last decade [1,2,3,4]
bacterial cellulose (BC) is characterized by having the same chemical structure (a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of β(1 → 4) linked D-glucose units) as the plant-based cellulose [2]
Both poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanofibers (Figure 1A upper right) and PLA/Lip nanofibers (Figure 1B upper right) showed a porous structure attributed to the chloroform/acetone solvent system used for electrospinning [12]
Summary
The development of sustainable natural-based biopolymer to replace petrochemical-based materials has attracted much attention over the last decade [1,2,3,4]. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a biodegradable polymer produced by Acetobacter bacteria through a hierarchical cell-directed self-assembly process. BC is characterized by having the same chemical structure (a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of β(1 → 4) linked D-glucose units) as the plant-based cellulose [2]. BC displays excellent mechanical properties due to the ultrafine-fiber network structure, the good chemical stability and the high water absorption capacity [5]. Its thermal properties, biodegradability, and biocompatibility make BC a promising material for different end uses. Many methods have been used to fabricate BC for different applications including textiles, nanocomposite membranes, foods, etc. Many methods have been used to fabricate BC for different applications including textiles, nanocomposite membranes, foods, etc. [6]
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