Abstract
There has been growing interest in transparent conductive substrates due to the prevailing flexible electron devices and the need for sustainable resources. In this study, we demonstrated a transparent fast-growing poplar veneers prepared by acetylated modification, followed by the infiltration of epoxy resin. The work mainly focused on the effect of acetylation treatment using a green catalyst of 4-Dimethylpyridine on the interface of the bulk fast-growing poplar veneer, and the result indicated that the interface hydrophobicity was greatly enhanced due to the higher substitute of acetyl groups; therefore, the interface compatibility between the cell wall and epoxy resin was improved. The obtained transparent fast-growing poplar veneers, hereafter referred to as TADPV, displayed a superior optical performance and flexibility, in which the light transmittance and haze were 90% and 70% at a wavelength of 550 nm, respectively, and the bending radius and bending angle parallel to grain of TADPV were 2 mm and 130°, respectively. Moreover, the tensile strength and tensile modulus of the TADPV were around 102 MPa and 198 MPa, respectively, which is significantly better than those of the plastic substrates used in flexible electron devices. At the same time, the thermal conductivity tests indicated that TADPV has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity of 0.34 Wm−1 K−1, which can completely meet the needs of transparent conductive substrates. Therefore, the obtained TADPV can be used as a candidate for a flexible transparent substrate of electron devices.
Highlights
With the development of electronics technology, the demand for electron devices with excellent optical performance, portability, and flexibility, as well as being environmentfriendly, has increased
The intercellular layer was completely damaged, and the substances existing in the cell corner were removed entirely; at the same time, the cell cavity was greatly largened and the cell wall became thinner after delignification (Figure 2e)
In order to further evaluate the effect of acetylation treatment on the crystal structure of acetylated DPV (ADPV), the X-ray diffraction (XRD) curves are shown in Figure 4e, in which the diffraction peaks located at 15.8◦ and 22.6◦, as well as a small diffraction peak at 35◦, are attributed to the I101, I002, and I040, crystal planes of cellulose, respectively [27]
Summary
With the development of electronics technology, the demand for electron devices with excellent optical performance, portability, and flexibility, as well as being environmentfriendly, has increased. Most of catalysts used in acetylation are strong acid or organic compounds, which likely lead to partial hydrolysis for wood materials and bring about a decrease in mechanical performance. Organic compounds, such as pyridine, are generally irritant and deleteriousness, which is harmful to human health. In this study, in order to prepare transparent fast-growing poplar veneers with an outstanding optical performance and high tensile strength, as well as superior flexibility, the poplar veneers are firstly delignified using an acidic sodium chlorite solution, and are subjected to acetylation treatment with acetic anhydride and DMAP as the catalyst by regulating the reaction time. The effect of the acetylation process on the optical properties, mechanical strength, and thermal conductivity of the poplar veneers are comprehensively estimated
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