Hynninen Ville, Patrakka Jani
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, P.O. Box 541, FI-33720 Tampere, Finland.
Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15100, FI-00076 Espoo, Finland.
Materials (Basel). 2021 Sep 7;14(18):5137. doi: 10.3390/ma14185137.
Chemical modification of cellulose offers routes for structurally and functionally diverse biopolymer derivatives for numerous industrial applications. Among cellulose derivatives, cellulose ethers have found extensive use, such as emulsifiers, in food industries and biotechnology. Methylcellulose, one of the simplest cellulose derivatives, has been utilized for biomedical, construction materials and cell culture applications. Its improved water solubility, thermoresponsive gelation, and the ability to act as a matrix for various dopants also offer routes for cellulose-based functional materials. There has been a renewed interest in understanding the structural, mechanical, and optical properties of methylcellulose and its composites. This review focuses on the recent development in optically and mechanically tunable hydrogels derived from methylcellulose and methylcellulose-cellulose nanocrystal composites. We further discuss the application of the gels for preparing highly ductile and strong fibers. Finally, the emerging application of methylcellulose-based fibers as optical fibers and their application potentials are discussed.
纤维素的化学改性为众多工业应用提供了结构和功能多样的生物聚合物衍生物的途径。在纤维素衍生物中，纤维素醚已得到广泛应用，例如在食品工业和生物技术中用作乳化剂。甲基纤维素是最简单的纤维素衍生物之一，已被用于生物医学、建筑材料和细胞培养应用。其改善的水溶性、热响应凝胶化以及作为各种掺杂剂基质的能力也为基于纤维素的功能材料提供了途径。人们对了解甲基纤维素及其复合材料的结构、力学和光学性质重新产生了兴趣。本综述重点关注由甲基纤维素和甲基纤维素-纤维素纳米晶体复合材料衍生的光学和机械可调水凝胶的最新进展。我们还讨论了这些凝胶在制备高延展性和高强度纤维方面的应用。最后，讨论了基于甲基纤维素的纤维作为光纤的新兴应用及其应用潜力。
