College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
Adv Mater. 2021 Jul;33(28):e2000682. doi: 10.1002/adma.202000682. Epub 2020 Jul 19.
High-strength petroleum-based materials like plastics have been widely used in various fields, but their nonbiodegradability has caused serious pollution problems. Cellulose, as the most abundant sustainable polymer, has a great chance to act as the ideal substitute for plastics due to its low cost, wide availability, biodegradability, etc. Herein, the recent achievements for developing cellulose "green" solvents and regenerated cellulose materials with high strength via the "bottom-up" route are presented. Cellulose can be regenerated to produce films/membranes, hydrogels/aerogels, filaments/fibers, microspheres/beads, bioplastics, etc., which show potential applications in textiles, biomedicine, energy storage, packaging, etc. Importantly, these cellulose-based materials can be biodegraded in soil and oceans, reducing environmental pollution. The cellulose solvents, dissolving mechanism, and strategies for constructing the regenerated cellulose functional materials with high strength and performances, together with the current achievements and urgent challenges are summarized, and some perspectives are also proposed. The near future will be an exciting era for high-strength biodegradable and renewable materials. The hope is that many environmentally friendly materials with good properties and low cost will be produced for commercial use, which will be beneficial for sustainable development in the world.
高强度的石油基材料（如塑料）已经在各个领域得到了广泛的应用，但它们的不可生物降解性导致了严重的污染问题。纤维素作为最丰富的可持续聚合物，由于其低成本、广泛可用性、生物降解性等特点，很有机会成为塑料的理想替代品。本文介绍了通过“从下到上”的路线开发纤维素“绿色”溶剂和高强度再生纤维素材料的最新进展。纤维素可以被再生为薄膜/膜、水凝胶/气凝胶、长丝/纤维、微球/珠、生物塑料等，在纺织品、生物医学、储能、包装等领域具有潜在的应用。重要的是，这些基于纤维素的材料可以在土壤和海洋中生物降解，从而减少环境污染。本文总结了纤维素溶剂、溶解机制以及构建高强度和高性能再生纤维素功能材料的策略，以及目前的成就和迫切的挑战，并提出了一些观点。不久的将来将是高强度可生物降解和可再生材料的激动人心的时代。希望能生产出许多具有良好性能和低成本的环保材料，以促进全球的可持续发展。
