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This study revisits the material properties of solid “liquid crystalline” films made from synthetic helical polypeptides and explores their structure–property relationships. Poly(γ-benzyl-l-glutamate) (PBLG) with various molecular weights and architectures (linear, comb-, and brush-like) were transformed into films through mechanical hot pressing. The resulting materials are composed of helical PBLGs arranged in a near-hexagonal lattice, similar to those formed by casting from a concentrated solution in 1,2-dichloroethane (EDC). Despite exhibiting lower apparent crystallinity, these films showed superior mechanical strength, potentially due to the promotion of more interrupted helices and their entanglements under high temperature and pressure. A pronounced chain length effect on the tensile modulus and mechanical strength was observed, aligning with the “interrupted helices” model proposed by us and others. Macromolecules with a polynorbornene (PN) backbone and PBLG side chains mirrored the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of linear PBLGs. Our findings suggest that the folding structures of polypeptide chains and the discontinuity of the folding in longer chains are more influential in determining the macroscopic mechanical properties of the resultant materials than crystallinity, packing ordering, or macromolecular architecture, emphasizing the critical role of cohesive chain network formation in achieving enhanced mechanical strength. This research also presents a versatile approach to fabricating solid-state polypeptide materials, circumventing solubility challenges associated with traditional solution-based processing methods.
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Eco-Friendly Cellulose Nanofiber Extraction from Sugarcane Bagasse and Film Fabrication
The development of cost-effective cellulose fibers by utilizing agricultural residues have been attracted by the scientific community in the past few years; however, a facile production route along with minimal processing steps and a significant reduction in harsh chemical use is still lacking. Here, we report a straightforward ultrasound-assisted method to extract cellulose nanofiber (CNF) from fibrous waste sugarcane bagasse. X-ray diffraction-based crystallinity calculation showed 25% increase in the crystallinity of the extracted CNF (61.1%) as compared to raw sugarcane bagasse (35.1%), which is coherent with Raman studies. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images revealed thread-like CNF structures. Furthermore, we prepared thin films of the CNF using hot press and solution casting method and compared their mechanical properties. Our experiments demonstrated that hot press is a more effective way to produce high strength CNF films; Young’s modulus of the thin films prepared from the hot press was ten times higher than the solution casting method. Our results suggest that a combination of ultrasound-based extraction and hot press-based film preparation is an efficient route of producing high strength CNF films.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1735971
- PAR ID:
- 10255453
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Sustainability
- Volume:
- 12
- Issue:
- 15
- ISSN:
- 2071-1050
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 6015
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.3390/su12156015
