Molecular engineering of interactions between 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether and cellulose in hydrated ionic solvents for sustainable packaging materials.

Authors

Huicong Jiang, Xin Li, Xianchun Li, Jinxia Ma

Published in

Carbohydrate polymers. Volume 391. Pages 125806. Nov 01, 2026. Epub Aug 28, 2026.

Abstract

The development of robust and wet-stable cellulose-based plastics is pivotal for replacing conventional plastics in packaging. This study addresses the critical challenge of balancing cellulose dissolution and crosslinking within a Lewis acid solvent system (AlCl₃/ZnCl₂/H₂O). We introduce 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE) as a crosslinker and systematically investigate its multifaceted role. Our findings reveal that BDDE, beyond its crosslinking function, significantly alters the solvent microstructure by strengthening water-water hydrogen bonds and reducing free water activity and polarity, thereby inhibiting cellulose dissolution at contents >1 wt%. At the optimal 1 wt% BDDE, a homogeneous crosslinked solution is achieved, leading to regenerated films with exceptional mechanical properties: a dry tensile strength of 84.3 MPa and a wet strength of 27.5 MPa, retaining 32.6% of its dry strength after 24-h water immersion. The film also demonstrates a low water vapor transmission rate, excellent biocompatibility (cell viability >90%), and complete disintegration within 30 days, indicative of its high biodegradation potential. This work provides profound mechanistic insights into the dissolution-crosslinking trade-off, establishing a strategic paradigm for designing high-performance cellulose bioplastics.

PMID:
42785856
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 25 Sep 2026.

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