Abstract
Bacterial cellulose (BC) aerogels, which are fragile, ultra-lightweight, open-porous and transversally isotropic materials, have been reinforced with the biocompatible polymers polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), cellulose acetate (CA), and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), respectively, at varying BC/polymer ratios. Supercritical carbon dioxide anti-solvent precipitation and simultaneous extraction of the anti-solvent using scCO2 have been used as core techniques for incorporating the secondary polymer into the BC matrix and to convert the formed composite organogels into aerogels.
Uniaxial compression tests revealed a considerable enhancement of the mechanical properties as compared to BC aerogels. Nitrogen sorption experiments at 77 K and scanning electron micrographs confirmed the preservation (or even enhancement) of the surface-area-to-volume ratio for most of the samples.
The formation of an open-porous, interpenetrating network of the second polymer has been demonstrated by treatment of BC/PMMA hybrid aerogels with EMIM acetate, which exclusively extracted cellulose, leaving behind self-supporting organogels. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000085310Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Carbohydrate PolymersVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
ElsevierSubject
Bacterial cellulose; Cellulosic aerogels; Cellulose composite materials; Interpenetrating polymer networks; Reinforcement; Supercritical carbon dioxideOrganisational unit
03917 - Burgert, Ingo / Burgert, Ingo
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