Leow, Y., Boo, Y. J., Lin, M., Tan, Y. C., Goh, R. Z. R., Zhu, Q., Loh, X. J., Xue, K., & Kai, D. (2024). Coconut husk-derived nanocellulose as reinforcing additives in thermal-responsive hydrogels. Carbohydrate Polymers, 323, 121453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121453
Abstract:
Nanocellulose has been widely used as a reinforcing agent for hydrogel systems, but its functions on thermal responsive hydrogels are rarely investigated. In this study, we extracted cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) from coconut biomass (coir fibers and piths, respectively) and aimed to study their effects on the material properties on a new class of thermogel (poly(PCL/PEG/PPG urethane). The CNFs extracted from fiber (FF) and piths (FP) showed different morphology and fiber lengths. FF are uniformed individual fibrous networks with a fiber length of 664 ± 416 nm, while FP display a hybrid structure consisting of individual fiber and large bundles with a relative shorter fiber length of 443 ± 184 nm. Integrating both CNFs into thermogels remained the thermal-responsive characteristics with an enhanced rheological property. The results showed that gels with FF resulted in a higher storage modulus and lower Tan δ value compared to those with FP, indicating that the CNFs with a longer length could form a more intertwined network interacting with the thermogel matrix. Furthermore, we demonstrated the improved capabilities of the nanocomposite thermogels for sustained drug delivery in vitro. This study not only value-adds lignocellulose valorization but also elevates the versatility of thermogels.
License type:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
Funding Info:
This research / project is supported by the ASTAR - MTC Individual Research Grants
Grant Reference no. : M22K2c0085
This research / project is supported by the National Research Foundation - NRF Investigatorship
Grant Reference no. : NRF-NRFI07–2021–0003
This research / project is supported by the ASTAR - Central Research Fund
Grant Reference no. : N.A