Thean Heng Tan¹, Najihah Mohd Hashim², Wageeh Abdulhadi Yehya Dabdawb¹, Mochamad Zakki Fahmi^3,*, Hwei Voon Lee^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.1, pp. 29-43, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.043449

Abstract The study focuses on the development of biocompatible and stable FA-functionalized nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) as a potential drug delivery system for targeting folate receptor-positive cancer cells. The FA-functionalized NCCs were synthesized through a series of chemical reactions, resulting in nanoparticles with favorable properties for biomedical applications. The microstructural analysis revealed that the functionalized NCCs maintained their rod-shaped morphology and displayed hydrodynamic diameters suitable for evading the mononuclear phagocytic system while being large enough to target tumor tissues. Importantly, these nanoparticles possessed a negative surface charge, enhancing their stability and repelling potential aggregation. The binding specificity… More > Graphic Abstract

Mohammad Jawaid¹, Lau Kia Kian¹, Hassan Fouad², Ramzi Khiari^3,4,5,*, Othman Y. Alothman⁶, Mohamed Hashem⁷

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.6, pp. 1459-1470, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.018415

Abstract Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) is a biomaterial derived from plant lignocellulosic components, widely applied in various industrial fields. Concurrently, with the growth of awareness in developing green nanomaterial, the explored Washingtonia fibre could be alternative biomass for obtaining CNC products. In the present work, different acid concentrations of 5%, 15%, and 25% hydrochloric solutions were employed to produce CNCs from Washingtonia fibre. With the chemical treatments, the yield of the CNC product was successfully retained at 21.6%−25.1%. Individually separated and needle-shaped CNC particles could be observed under the microscopic viewing with the increased acid concentrations. From… More > Graphic Abstract

Kang Xu, Tong Li, Gaofei Guan, Jianlong Qu, Zhen Zhao, Xinsheng Xu^*

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.130, No.2, pp. 987-1002, 2022, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2022.018128

Abstract By means of the local surface nanocrystallization that enables to change the material on local positions, an innovative embedded multi-cell (EMC) thin-walled energy absorption structures with local surface nanocrystallization is proposed in this paper. The local surface nanacrystallization stripes are regarded as the moving morphable components in the domain for optimal design. Results reveal that after optimizing the local surface nanocrystallization layout, the specific energy absorption (SEA) is increased by 50.78% compared with the untreated counterpart. Besides, in contrast with the optimized 4-cell structure, the SEA of the nanocrystallized embedded 9-cell structure is further enhanced More >

Deniz Sema Sarul¹, Dogan Arslan², Emre Vatansever¹, Yusuf Kahraman², Ali Durmus³, Reza Salehiyan⁴, Mohammadreza Nofar^1,2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.1, pp. 149-164, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.017003

Abstract Polylactide (PLA)/poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) blend nanocomposites including 3 wt% of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were prepared by melt compounding method in a twin-screw extruder and an internal mixer. Blend nanocomposites were formulated by diluting three different masterbatches prepared by solution casting method that contained 7 wt% of CNC. These masterbatches were: (m1) PLA/PBAT/CNC masterbatch; (m2) PLA/CNC masterbatch; and (m3) PBAT/CNC masterbatch. These were to explore how different preparation methods affect the dispersion and localization of CNC and hence the properties of PLA/PBAT/CNC blend nanocomposites. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the structural changes… More >

Ewa Szefer^*, Agnieszka Leszczyńska, Edyta Hebda, Krzysztof Pielichowski

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.9, No.6, pp. 1127-1142, 2021, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2021.014584

Abstract The aim of this work was to use cellulose nanocrystals that were obtained by hydrolysis in phosphoric acid solution and further modified with succinic anhydride in the microwave field for PLA reinforcement. A series of all-bionanocomposites containing unmodified and surface modified cellulose nanocrystals with CNC content in the range of 1–3 %_w.t. were obtained by melt blending and tested by XRD, SEM, DSC and DMA to investigate the effect of surface esterification of CNCs on the structure, morphology, dynamic mechanical properties of bionanocomposites, as well as phase transitions of PLA in the presence of cellulosic nanofiller. More > Graphic Abstract

Yunxiang Guo¹, Cheng Lu^1,2, Feng Yu¹, Liang Hua¹, Xinsong Zhang^1,*

Energy Engineering, Vol.117, No.6, pp. 429-438, 2020, DOI:10.32604/EE.2020.011673

Abstract Nanocrystalline core is often adopted in high-power medium-frequency transformer, whose excitation voltage is usually a rectangular wave with an adjustable duty ratio. In this paper, several kinds of methods are proposed for core loss calculation under non-sinusoidal voltage excitation by modifying the original Steinmetz equation (OSE). Firstly, these correction methods are compared in theory, and their analytical equations under rectangular voltage with an adjustable duty ratio are deduced. Then, a hysteresis loop measurement system is established to measure the core loss density of a nanocrystalline core. Based on the measured results of the core loss More >

Xing Zhou^1,*, Xin Zhang¹, Dong Wang¹, Changqing Fang^1,*, Wanqing Lei¹, Zhigang Huang², Yonghua Song¹, Xinyu He¹, Yingwei Huang¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.6, pp. 631-645, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.010176

Abstract Cellulose plays a key role in abundant organic natural materials meeting the increasing demand for green and biocompatible products. The highly crystalline nanoscale component of cellulose nanocrystals has recently attracted great attention due to the versatile performance as filler or matrix in producing functional materials. In this work, we prepared the waterborne polyurethane via a prepolymer process, and obtained cellulose and cellulose nanocrystals from waste paper via a facile acid hydrolysis process. After that, the cellulose nanocrystals were assembled into film and mixed with polyurethane to prepare flexible polyurethane/cellulose nanocrystals composite membrane with different soaking… More >

Xiaozheng Sun^*, Qiang He, Yu Yang

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 447-460, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.09671

Abstract Agricultural waste straw is the renewable resource with the highest annual yield in the world. In value-added applications of agricultural waste, dicarboxyl cellulose nanocrystals (DCCs) are prepared from rice, wheat, and corn straw by sequential periodate-chlorite oxidation. In this study, DCCs from rice, wheat, and corn straw were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The carboxyl content of the DCCs was also investigated. XRD results show that the crystallinity index decreased after sequential periodate-chlorite oxidation; however, the cellulose I structure was maintained. TEM… More >

Mariia Stepanova¹, Ilia Averianov¹, Olga Solomakha¹, Natalia Zabolotnykh², Iosif Gofman¹, Mikhail Serdobintsev², Tatiana Vinogradova², Viktor Korzhikov-Vlakh^1,3, Evgenia Korzhikova-Vlakh^1,3,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 383-395, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.09206

Abstract The biocomposite films were prepared from poly(L-lactic acid) and cellulose nanocrystals. To improve interfacial compatibility of hydrophilic cellulose nanocrystals with hydrophobic matrix polymer as well as to provide the osteoconductive properties, cellulose was functionalized with poly(glutamic acid). The modified cellulose nanocrystals were better distributed and less aggregated within the matrix, which was testified by scanning electron, optical and polarized light microscopy. According to mechanical tests, composites filled with nanocrystals modified with PGlu demonstrated higher values of Young’s modulus, elongation at break and tensile strength. Incubation of composite materials in model buffer solutions for 30 weeks More >

Vikas S. Hakke¹, Uday D. Bagale¹, Sami Boufi², G. Uday Bhaskar Babu¹, Shirish H. Sonawane^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.3, pp. 239-250, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.08449

Abstract Starch nanocrystals (SNC) were prepared from maize starch using ultrasound assisted acid hydrolysis. The process takes less time for the generation of SNC, which is advantageous over conventional acid hydrolysis. The synthesized SNC were characterized using X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Particle size and TEM data show that the particles were near to 150 nm, with oval morphology. The SNC with higher surface charge are obtained with this innovative approach as compared to conventional acid hydrolysis. Because of high surface charge and oval like morphology, the SNC performed More >