Transparent nanocomposites prepared by incorporating microbial nanofibrils into poly(l-lactic acid)

Abstract

A biocompatible polymeric nanocomposite was prepared by adding a bacterial cellulose pellicle into the poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) matrix. The PLLA/bacterial cellulose nanocomposite retained the transparency of the pure PLLA film due to the nanofibrillar structure of the bacterial cellulose, which is smaller than the wavelength of visible rays. The X-ray diffraction patterns of PLLA in the PLLA/bacterial cellulose nanocomposite showed peaks for crystallized PLLA that did not appear in the patterns of the PLLA film. The morphology was examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy, which showed the well-dispersed bacterial cellulose fibrils in PLLA. An increase in the mechanical properties was observed by incorporating bacterial cellulose as a reinforcement into the PLLA matrix.