Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
Center of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewicza 112, 90-363 Lodz, Poland.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2022 Oct 31;219:213-223. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.07.191. Epub 2022 Jul 28.
This study highlights the potential use of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from kenaf fiber as a dominant phase for aerogel application. CNCs were modified with methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) using the sol-gel method and bound with gamma-irradiated cross-linked gelatin. The properties of the aerogel were studied using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and water contact angle (WCA). Compression and oil absorption tests were performed to study the aerogels' mechanical and oil absorption properties. A decrease in the OH peak and improved hydrophobicity of CNCs in CNC-MTMS suggested the successful grafting of MTMS onto CNCs, as shown in the FTIR and WCA analyses. Several absorption peaks in the FTIR spectrum shifted, disappeared, or reduced, implying a formation of crosslink between gelatin molecules and hydrogen bonding between CNC and gelatin. FESEM micrographs showed well-organized pores in the gamma-irradiated aerogel, which contribute to increased compressive strength. The oil absorption test indicated that gamma-irradiated CNC-MTMS/gelatin could be a good oil absorbent. Furthermore, this aerogel showed good reusability, where only 4 % of crude oil absorption reduction occurred by the eighth cycle. The combined properties of these aerogel materials can provide good mechanical and oil absorption performance.
本研究强调了麻纤维纳米纤维素晶体（CNC）作为气凝胶应用主要相的潜在用途。采用溶胶-凝胶法用甲基三甲氧基硅烷（MTMS）对 CNC 进行改性，并与γ辐照交联明胶结合。使用傅里叶变换红外（FTIR）光谱、透射电子显微镜（TEM）、场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM）和水接触角（WCA）研究气凝胶的性质。进行压缩和吸油测试以研究气凝胶的机械和吸油性能。FTIR 和 WCA 分析表明，CNC-MTMS 中 OH 峰的减少和 CNC 疏水性的提高表明 MTMS 成功接枝到 CNC 上。FTIR 光谱中的几个吸收峰发生了位移、消失或减少，这意味着明胶分子之间形成了交联，并且 CNC 和明胶之间形成了氢键。FESEM 微观照片显示，γ辐照气凝胶中存在组织良好的孔，这有助于提高抗压强度。吸油测试表明，γ辐照 CNC-MTMS/明胶可能是一种良好的吸油剂。此外，这种气凝胶具有良好的可重复使用性，在第八个循环中仅观察到粗油吸收减少了 4%。这些气凝胶材料的综合性能可以提供良好的机械性能和吸油性能。
