Synergistic Tailoring Reduced Graphene Oxide Coating for Natural Polymer-Based Gas Barrier Films

Abstract

Improving the gas molecule barrier performance of biomass-derived bio-plastic films dramatically contributes to packaging and protective fields, such as food, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and electronic instruments et al. Herein, cellulose acetate (CA)/polyethyleneimine (PEI)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-NiCoFeOx nanocomposite film featured with high gas obstructing property was precisely tailored by two-terminal 'molecular glue' joints and targeted nano-patching engineering. Terminal amino groups enriched PEI functions as 'molecular glue' to tightly connect CA substrate with rGO via chemical bonds and the defective regions in rGO plane was nano-patched through hydrophilic interactions between edged oxygen-containing functional groups and ultrafine NiCoFeOx nanoparticles. Together with the reinforced atomic interfacial contact of CA/rGO and targeted nano-patching defect of rGO, the oxygen and moisture transmission rates of the prepared CA/PEI/rGO-NPs hybrid film were significantly reduced to 0.31 cm3*μm/(m2*d*kPa) and 314.23 g/m2*24h, respectively, which were 99.60% and 54.69% lower than pristine CA films. Meanwhile, the contact angle and tensile strength of hybrid film reached 97.74° and 40.67 MPa. Moreover, the resultant nanocomposite films possess excellent structure stability without GO shedding and hydrophobicity attenuation after persistent bending at least for 100 times. Such two-pronged manage strategy provides a prototype for designing and fabricating robust bio-plastic gas resistance films.