Abstract
Aqueous suspensions of polysaccharide (cellulose, chitin or starch) nanocrystals can be prepared by acid hydrolysis of biomass. The main problem with their practical use is related to the homogeneous dispersion of these nanoparticles within a polymeric matrix. Water is the preferred processing medium. A new and interesting way for the processing of polysaccharide nanocrystals-based nanocomposites is their transformation into a co-continuous material through long chain surface chemical modification. It involves the surface chemical modification of the nanoparticles based on the use of grafting agents bearing a reactive end group and a long compatibilizing tail.
Highlights
The potential of nanocomposites in various sectors of research and application is promising and is attracting increasing investments
This mode of processing of nanocomposite materials allows preservation of the individualized state of the nanoparticles resulting from their colloidal dispersion in water
Nanocomposite materials were processed from PCL-grafted ramie cellulose whiskers and PCLgrafted waxy maize starch nanocrystals using the "grafting onto" [77] approach using isocyanatemediated reaction
Summary
The potential of nanocomposites in various sectors of research and application is promising and is attracting increasing investments. Polysaccharide nanoparticles are obtained as aqueous suspensions and most investigations have focused on hydrosoluble (or at least hydrodispersible) or latex-form polymers The dispersion of these nanocrystals in non-aqueous media is possible using surfactants or chemical grafting and it opens other possibilities for nanocomposite processing. Polysaccharide nanocrystals possess a reactive surface covered with hydroxyl groups, providing the possibility of extensive chemical modification This strategy decreases the surface energy and polar character of the nanoparticles, improving by the way the adhesion with non polar polymeric matrix a detrimental effect is generally reported for the mechanical performances of the composite. This unusual behavior is ascribed to the originality of the reinforcing phenomenon of polysaccharide nanocrystals resulting from the formation of a percolating network thanks to hydrogen bonding forces. This paper reviews the different processing techniques of polysaccharide (mainly cellulose) nanocrystal-reinforced polymer nanocomposites
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