Xu Jiali, Liu Xiaodi, Zhang Qiang
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China.
Polymers (Basel). 2024 Sep 8;16(17):2541. doi: 10.3390/polym16172541.
Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a broadly utilized natural nanofiber produced by microbial fermentation, but its high-cost and low-yield production and limited function still hinder its application. Here, we used the spraying-assisted biosynthesis method to introduce biomass nanofibers along with the nutrient media to the fermenting BC. Biomass nanofibers could be cellulose, chitosan, and others. They entangled with BC nanofibers via intermolecular interactions, including hydrogen binding and electrostatic adsorption, to form uniform BC composites. The BC composites achieved an enhanced yield of 140 wt% compared with pure BC and displayed similar excellent mechanical properties (Young's moduli = 0.9-1.4 MPa for wet films and =6500 MPa for dried films). BC composites also had similar high crystallinity and thermal stability to pure BC. The functional groups of biomasses endowed BC composite additional functions such as antibacterial and dye-adsorption capabilities. Moreover, a high yield and functionalization could be realized simultaneously by feeding functional cellulose nanofibers. This method provides a facile way to produce BC composites with low cost, high yield, and multiple functions.
细菌纤维素（BC）是一种通过微生物发酵生产的广泛应用的天然纳米纤维，但其高成本、低产量以及功能有限仍然阻碍了它的应用。在此，我们采用喷雾辅助生物合成方法，将生物质纳米纤维与营养培养基一起引入到发酵的BC中。生物质纳米纤维可以是纤维素、壳聚糖等。它们通过包括氢键和静电吸附在内的分子间相互作用与BC纳米纤维缠结，形成均匀的BC复合材料。与纯BC相比，BC复合材料的产量提高了约140 wt%，并且表现出相似的优异机械性能（湿膜的杨氏模量 = 0.9 - 1.4 MPa，干膜的杨氏模量 =~6500 MPa）。BC复合材料还具有与纯BC相似的高结晶度和热稳定性。生物质的官能团赋予了BC复合材料额外的功能，如抗菌和染料吸附能力。此外，通过加入功能性纤维素纳米纤维可以同时实现高产率和功能化。该方法为低成本、高产率且具有多种功能的BC复合材料的生产提供了一种简便途径。
