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Applied Sciences
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Cellulosic Nanofibers and Their Applications
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Cellulosic Nanofibers and Their Applications

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2020) | Viewed by 26030

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alejandro Rodríguez Pascual

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Guest Editor
Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Science, Universidad de Córdoba, Building Marie-Curie, Campus of Rabanales, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: biorefinery; cellulose; lignin; lignocellulosic residues; nanocellulose; biobased; biomaterials; paper; papermaking; packaging; biocomposites; environmental remediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Juan Dominguez-Robles

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
Interests: drug delivery; hydrogels; biomaterials; 3D printing; biomass valorization; lignin
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

The enormous potential of cellulose fibres is well known. The scientific community is continuously improving their methods of production, as well as the applications that can be developed with cellulosic fibres as the main components. There is a wide range of cellulosic fibres, coming from residues from the agri-food industry, which have been researched in recent years. Optimising the production of cellulosic fibres by means of environmentally friendly methods, achieving high exploitation yields, and using alternative raw materials to conventional ones are some of the challenges facing researchers today.  Cellulosic fibers have high application potential (sustainable and intelligent packaging, membranes, food additives, paper/cardboard reinforcement, electrical components, catalysts, biosensors, tissue engineering, analytical chemistry, biomedical application, etc.). This Special Issue aims to bring together eminent scientific work related to cellulosic fibres and their applications. The main focus of this chapter should be the valorisation and maximum use of alternative raw materials, as well as the use of cellulose in important and useful applications for society.

Prof. Dr. Alejandro Rodríguez Pascual
Dr. Juan Domínguez Robles
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • agri-food raw material
  • lignonanofibers
  • cellulosic nanofibers
  • 3D printing
  • membranes
  • reinforcement
  • production
  • packaging
  • composites

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 2915 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Flexural Properties of Epoxy Composites with Extremely Low Addition of Cellulose Nanofiber Content
by Yingmei Xie, Hiroki Kurita, Ryugo Ishigami and Fumio Narita
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(3), 1159; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10031159 - 09 Feb 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3362
Abstract
Epoxy resins are a widely used common polymer due to their excellent mechanical properties. On the other hand, cellulose nanofiber (CNF) is one of the new generation of fibers, and recent test results show that CNF reinforced polymers have high mechanical properties. It [...] Read more.
Epoxy resins are a widely used common polymer due to their excellent mechanical properties. On the other hand, cellulose nanofiber (CNF) is one of the new generation of fibers, and recent test results show that CNF reinforced polymers have high mechanical properties. It has also been reported that an extremely low CNF addition increases the mechanical properties of the matrix resin. In this study, we prepared extremely-low CNF (~1 wt.%) reinforced epoxy resin matrix (epoxy-CNF) composites, and tried to understand the strengthening mechanism of the epoxy-CNF composite through the three-point flexural test, finite element analysis (FEA), and discussion based on organic chemistry. The flexural modulus and strength were significantly increased by the extremely low CNF addition (less than 0.2 wt.%), although the theories for short-fiber-reinforced composites cannot explain the strengthening mechanism of the epoxy-CNF composite. Hence, we propose the possibility that CNF behaves as an auxiliary agent to enhance the structure of the epoxy molecule, and not as a reinforcing fiber in the epoxy resin matrix. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cellulosic Nanofibers and Their Applications)
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13 pages, 1390 KiB  
Article
Cellulose Nanofibril (CNF) Films and Xylan from Hot Water Extracted Birch Kraft Pulps
by Marc Borrega and Hannes Orelma
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(16), 3436; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9163436 - 20 Aug 2019
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3981
Abstract
The effects of xylan extraction from birch kraft pulp on the manufacture and properties of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) films were here investigated. Hot water extractions of bleached and unbleached kraft pulps were performed in a flow-through system to remove and recover the xylan. [...] Read more.
The effects of xylan extraction from birch kraft pulp on the manufacture and properties of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) films were here investigated. Hot water extractions of bleached and unbleached kraft pulps were performed in a flow-through system to remove and recover the xylan. After the extraction, the pulps were oxidized with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO) and fibrillated in a high-pressure microfluidizer. Compared to CNF from bleached kraft pulp, the CNF dispersions obtained from water-extracted pulps were less viscous and generally contained a higher amount of microfiber fragments, although smaller in size. In all cases, however, smooth and highly transparent films were produced from the CNF dispersions after the addition of sorbitol as plasticizer. The CNF films made from water-extracted pulps showed a lower tensile strength and ductility, probably due to their lower xylan content, but the stiffness was only reduced by the presence of lignin. Interestingly, the CNF films from water-extracted bleached pulps were less hydrophilic, and their water vapour permeability was reduced up to 25%. Therefore, hot water extraction of bleached birch kraft pulp could be used to produce CNF films with improved barrier properties for food packaging, while obtaining a high-purity xylan stream for other high-value applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cellulosic Nanofibers and Their Applications)
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15 pages, 5777 KiB  
Article
Pickering Emulsions Containing Cellulose Microfibers Produced by Mechanical Treatments as Stabilizer in the Food Industry
by Jose Luis Sanchez-Salvador, Ana Balea, M. Concepcion Monte, Angeles Blanco and Carlos Negro
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(2), 359; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9020359 - 21 Jan 2019
Cited by 54 | Viewed by 7129
Abstract
Pickering emulsions are emulsions stabilized by solid particles, which generally provide a more stable system than traditional surfactants. Among various solid stabilizers, bio-based particles from renewable resources, such as micro- and nanofibrillated cellulose, may open up new opportunities for the future of Pickering [...] Read more.
Pickering emulsions are emulsions stabilized by solid particles, which generally provide a more stable system than traditional surfactants. Among various solid stabilizers, bio-based particles from renewable resources, such as micro- and nanofibrillated cellulose, may open up new opportunities for the future of Pickering emulsions owing to their properties of nanosize, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and renewability. The aim of this research was to obtain oil-in water (O/W) Pickering emulsions using cellulose microfibers (CMF) produced from cotton cellulose linters by mechanical treatment through a high-pressure homogenizer. The O/W Pickering emulsions were prepared with different O/W ratios by mixing edible oil (sunflower oil) with water containing CMF at concentrations of up to 1.0 wt%. The apparent viscosity of the separated emulsion phase was measured. Results showed the feasibility of using low concentration of CMF for preparing and stabilizing Pickering emulsions, with the apparent viscosity of the emulsion phase increasing 60–90 times with respect to the sunflower oil, for a shear rate of 1 s−1. In addition, theoretical nutrition facts of the emulsions were calculated and compared with other fats used in foods, showing that they can be a promising low-calorie product containing dietary fiber, replacing trans and saturated fats in foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cellulosic Nanofibers and Their Applications)
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Review

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25 pages, 10894 KiB  
Review
Cellulose Nanofibers and Other Biopolymers for Biomedical Applications. A Review
by John Moohan, Sarah A. Stewart, Eduardo Espinosa, Antonio Rosal, Alejandro Rodríguez, Eneko Larrañeta, Ryan F. Donnelly and Juan Domínguez-Robles
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(1), 65; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10010065 - 20 Dec 2019
Cited by 125 | Viewed by 10929
Abstract
Biopolymers are materials synthesised or derived from natural sources, such as plants, animals, microorganisms or any other living organism. The use of these polymers has grown significantly in recent years as industry shifts away from unsustainable fossil fuel resources and looks towards a [...] Read more.
Biopolymers are materials synthesised or derived from natural sources, such as plants, animals, microorganisms or any other living organism. The use of these polymers has grown significantly in recent years as industry shifts away from unsustainable fossil fuel resources and looks towards a softer and more sustainable environmental approach. This review article covers the main classes of biopolymers: Polysaccharides, proteins, microbial-derived and lignin. In addition, an overview of the leading biomedical applications of biopolymers is also provided, which includes tissue engineering, medical implants, wound dressings, and the delivery of bioactive molecules. The future clinical applications of biopolymers are vast, due to their inherent biocompatibility, biodegradability and low immunogenicity. All properties which their synthetic counterparts do not share. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cellulosic Nanofibers and Their Applications)
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