Direct coagulation casting of silicon carbide suspension via polyelectrolyte dispersant crosslink reaction

A direct coagulation casting method for silicon carbide ceramic suspension using dispersant crosslink reaction is reported. Polymer electrolyte (polyethyleneimine, PEI) was used as dispersant to prepare silicon carbide suspension. Common food additives (carboxymethyl cellulose, CMC) were used to coagulate the electrosteric stabilized silicon carbide suspension. There was a well disperse silicon carbide suspension with 0.2 wt% PEI at pH = 5-6. Influence of coagulant on viscosity and zeta potential of the silicon carbide suspension was investigated. It indicates that the high solid loading silicon carbide suspension can be destabilized and coagulated at elevated temperature. It can be attribute to the gradual decrease of electrosteric force due to the crosslink reaction between PEI and CMC. Silicon carbide wet green body with compressive strength of 1.99 MPa could be demolded at 70°C which is higher than that prepared by traditional DCC and dispersant reaction method for nonoxide ceramics. Dense silicon carbide ceramics with relative density above 98.8% and 99.3% had been prepared by liquid phase pressureless and hot pressed sintering, respectively.     

Synthesis,thermal properties,conductivity and lifetime of proton conductors based on nanocrystalline cellulose surface-functionalized with triazole and imidazole

A new proton conductor based on 1H-1,2,3-triazole doped nanocrystalline cellulose (2.66 CNC-Tri) has been synthesized for possible use as an electrolyte in proton exchange membrane (PEM) cells. The physicochemical properties of 2.66 CNC-Tri were determined and compared with those of imidazole-doped nanocrystalline (1.17 CNC-Im) and pure nanocrystalline cellulose (CNC). The composites were obtained in the form of a film and their synthesis proceeded under vacuum. The maximum conductivity of 2.66 CNC-Tri was measured to be 0.1 × 10⁻⁴ S/m at 175 °C and that of 1.17 CNC-Im to be 1.6 × 10⁻² S/m at 155 °C, in the anhydrous state. The composite 2.66 CNC-Tri, compared to 1.17 CNC-Im, has much better thermal properties manifested as stability of the matrix and durability of the heterocyclic molecule. The lifetimes of 2.66 CNC-Tri fulfills the requirements of the U.S. Department of Energy for the minimum lifetimes of a PEM based fuel cell for cars.     

羟甲基化木质素/纤维素气凝胶粒子的制备、表征及吸附性能

以羟甲基化木质素和纤维素为原料，NaOH/尿素水溶液为溶解体系，采用冷冻干燥法制备羟甲基化木质素/纤维素气凝胶粒子。采用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、傅里叶变换红外光谱（FT-IR）仪、X射线衍射（XRD）仪、比表面积及孔径分析仪等对其结构进行了表征。研究结果表明：羟甲基化木质素分子通过氢键作用附着在纤维素骨架上，气凝胶内部仍保持三维网状结构，羟甲基化木质素的引入使得气凝胶表面出现明显收缩，网状结构的致密度随着羟甲基化木质素用量提高而逐渐降低；同时气凝胶粒子具有纤维素Ⅱ型红外吸收峰和XRD衍射峰；粒子表现出Ⅱ型吸附/脱附等温线，孔径均在15 nm以下，且随着羟甲基化木质素用量不断提高，比表面积、孔容均有所减小，HKL-4的比表面积为105.3m²/g，孔容为0.336 6cm³/g，孔径为13.67nm。吸附性能分析表明在25℃下吸附5 h，HKL-4气凝胶粒子对金胺O、亚甲基蓝和罗丹明B的吸附量分别为33.06、96.06和43.26mg/g，对亚甲基蓝的饱和吸附量可达208.7 mg/g，吸附过程更符合Langmuir等温吸附模型，主要为单分子层吸附。     

Understanding the Self-Assembly of Cellulose Nanocrystals—Toward Chiral Photonic Materials

Over millions of years, animals and plants have evolved complex molecules and structures that endow them with vibrant colors. Among the sources of natural coloration, structural color is prominent in insects, bird feathers, snake skin, plants, and other organisms, where the color arises from the interaction of light with nanoscale features rather than absorption from a pigment. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are a biorenewable resource that spontaneously organize into chiral nematic liquid crystals having a hierarchical structure that resembles the Bouligand structure of arthropod shells. The periodic, chiral nematic organization of CNC films leads them to diffract light, making them appear iridescent. Over the past two decades, there have been many advances to develop the photonic properties of CNCs for applications ranging from cosmetics to sensors. Here, the origin of color in CNCs, the control of photonic properties of CNC films, the development of new composite materials of CNCs that can yield flexible photonic structures, and the future challenges in this field are discussed. In particular, recent efforts to make flexible photonic materials using CNCs are highlighted.     

Calcium phosphates grown on bacterial cellulose template

Bacterial cellulose membranes were employed as templates for calcium phosphates deposition by successive immersion in solutions of Ca(NO₃)₂·4H₂O and (NH₄)₂HPO₄, under ultrasonication. During the wet chemical reaction, mineral phases were loaded on bacterial cellulose fibrils, leading to precursor hybrid composites. These were subjected to a lyophilisation procedure in order to preserve the 3D porous aspect and afterwards to a thermal treatment with the aim of removing the polymeric phase and generating well crystallized structures. Different types of morphologies were achieved by varying the heating rate, as well as the calcination temperature and period. The as-prepared samples and the final ones were investigated from compositional and structural point of view through X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and morphologically concerning by scanning electron microscopy. The magnetic properties were also evaluated in order to demonstrate the suitability of the obtained materials for the development of magnetic scaffolds dedicated to hard tissue applications.     

细菌纤维素合成与鉴定研究综述

细菌纤维素（BC）因其独特性能被广泛应用于医药、食品等领域，目前其高产量菌株筛选、合成成本降低及合成途径改良等成为研究热点。本文依据国内外文献并结合团队研究成果对BC合成与鉴定的相关研究进行综述。首先对BC合成菌筛选及碳源利用的研究进行了分析，总结了降低BC合成成本的研究思路。其次对鉴定菌株合成产物的方法进行了归纳，总结了不同方法的特点。然后结合本团队筛选出的BC生产菌XJL-06-4 BC合成酶基因分析结果，综述了BC合成途径、合成酶存在形式以及基因水平调控作用，为BC在分子水平上通过改变合成途径提高产量提供新思路。最后，总结BC微生物发酵生产存在的问题，多角度提出解决方案。     

Fabrication of oriented electrospun cellulose nanocrystals–polystyrene composite fibers on a rotating drum

Nitrobenzene (CNC-1), trifluoromethyl benzene (CNC-2) modified and polystyrene-grafted (CNC-g) cellulose nanocrystals in polystyrene (PS)-N,N dimethylformamide (DMF) solutions were electrospun and collected as stretched and aligned fibers on a rotating drum. Scanning electron microscope pictures showed significant alignment in the case of unmodified and nitrobenzene-modified CNC-1/PS nanocomposite fibers once the linear speed of rotor reached to 15 m s⁻¹. Fiber diameter decrease was more strong with rotor speed increase in the case of trifluoromethyl benzene modified (CNC-2) and polystyrene-grafted (CNC-g) cellulose nanocrystals/PS systems. Dynamic mechanical analysis including storage and elastic modulus of electrospun-oriented fibers were performed on surface-modified and polymer-grafted CNC/PS samples. According to α transition peak, the increase in the glass-transition temperature with filler concentration was the highest in polymer-grafted CNC-g/PS composite fibers. It was due to the interpenetration of grafted polymer brushes and free polymer chains in continuous phase and resulted in restrictions of motions of polymer chains in the PS matrix. The elastic moduli of nitrobenzene (CNC-1) and trifluoromethyl benzene (CNC-2)-modified CNC-filled PS composite fibers agreed well with percolation model, which indicates the CNC–CNC interactions and network formation with an increase in concentration. Magnitude of the elastic modulus of polymer grafted CNC-g at 0.33 vol % in PS was significantly higher than the prediction from percolation theory. It was due the immobilized polymer chains around CNC-g particles. However, grafted polymer chains, at higher CNC concentrations acted like stickers among CNC particles and caused CNC agglomerates with entrapped free polystyrene from the matrix, thus caused a decrease in the elastic modulus. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48942.     

多级孔HZSM-5分子筛催化快速热解生物质制芳烃

采用酸和/或碱处理法制备了一系列多级孔HZSM-5分子筛，采用XRD、N₂吸附、XRF、TEM、²⁷Al MAS NMR和NH₃-TPD等表征手段对其孔道结构和酸性进行表征。表征结果表明，采用碱处理方法，可获得孔径集中于3~6 nm的介孔结构，通过改变酸、碱处理次序，可调变酸中心数量和强酸/总酸中心比例。在Py-GC/MS装置上，以纤维素和水稻秸秆为原料，研究多级孔分子筛结构对催化快速热解（CFP）制芳烃反应的影响。反应评价结果表明，同商品级HZSM-5相比，采用先碱后酸处理获得的多级孔HZSM-5分子筛（HZ-OH/H），可将纤维素CFP芳烃碳产率由32.3%提高至43.6%，可将水稻秸秆CFP芳烃碳产率由23.0%提高至30.8%。多级孔HZ-OH/H分子筛的孔道结构和酸中心分布特征，对开发应用于生物质制芳烃的高效工业催化剂具有借鉴意义。     

Poly(lactic acid)/pulp fiber composites: The effect of fiber surface modification and hydrothermal aging on viscoelastic and strength properties

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/kraft pulp fiber (30 wt%) composites were prepared with and without a coupling agent (epoxidized linseed oil, ELO, 1.5 wt%) by injection molding. The non-annealed composite samples, along with lean PLA, were exposed to two hydro-thermal conditions: cyclic 50% RH/90% RH at 23 and 50°C, both up to 42 days. The aging effects were observed by size exclusion chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic and tensile mechanical analysis, and fracture surface imaging. ELO temporarily accelerated the material's internal transition from viscous to an increasingly elastic response during the aging at 50°C. ELO also slowed down the tensile strength reduction of the composites at 50°C. These observations were explained with the hydrophobic ELO molecules' coupling and plasticizing effects at fiber/matrix interfaces. No effects were observed at 23°C.