A sustainable cellulose bioplastic film with extraordinary mechanical performance regenerated by vapor-induced phase separation

Hong Zhao; Gui-Chun Hu; Brett Abraham; Qing Wang; Na Zhong; Fei Shen; Li-Hui Xu; Qun Yang; Piotr Batys; Qing-Shi Tu; Wojciech Płaziński; Xian-wei Cheng; Zai-Sheng Cai; Jin-Guang Hu

doi:10.59717/j.xinn-mater.2025.100133

The Innovation Materials > 2025 Vol. 3 > No. 2 > 100133

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A sustainable cellulose bioplastic film with extraordinary mechanical performance regenerated by vapor-induced phase separation

1.
Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary Schulich School of Engineering, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
2.
School of Textiles and Fashion, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, 201620, China
3.
Key Lab of Science & Technology of Eco-textile, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
4.
Institute of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
5.
Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 8, PL-30239 Krakow, Poland
6.
Department of Wood Science, Faculty of Forestry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
7.
Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4A, PL-20093 Lublin, Poland
8.
Jiangsu Engineering Research Center of Textile Dyeing and Printing for Energy Conservation, Discharge Reduction and Cleaner Production, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China

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Corresponding authors: wojtek_plazinski@o2.pl (W.P.); zshcai@dhu.edu.cn (Z.C.); jinguang.hu@ucalgary.ca (J.H.)
Received Date: October 15, 2024

Accepted Date: May 06, 2025

Published Online: May 12, 2025

The Innovation Materials 3(2), https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-mater.2025.100133 | Cite this article

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PUBLIC SUMMARY

PUBLIC SUMMARY
1. A streamlined Vapor-Induced Phase Separation-stretching-hot-pressing (VIPS-S-P) is firstly proposed.
  
  A regenerated cellulose bioplastic (VSP-RCB) is produced by VIPS-S-P.
  
  The supramolecular assembly mechanisms of cellulosic network are revealed.
  
  This VSP-RCB showcases exceptional mechanical strength in wet and dry conditions.

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

We urgently need eco-friendly alternatives to non-biodegradable petrochemical plastics. Our study introduces a streamlined Vapor-Induced Phase Separation (VIPS) process, followed by stretching and hot-pressing (VIPS-S-P), to produce a regenerated cellulose bioplastic (VSP-RCB). This bioplastic showcases exceptional mechanical strength in wet and dry conditions, water stability, transparency, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and thermal stability. The scalable VIPS process involves cellulose dissolved in DMAc-LiCl coagulating with atmospheric water vapor to form a transparent organohydrogel (RCOH). The RCOH is aligned through stretching and densified via hot-pressing, creating a fully recyclable product from diverse cellulose sources. Molecular dynamics simulations and life-cycle assessment (LCA) explain RCOH generation mechanisms and environmental impacts. The VIPS-S-P strategy provides a sustainable approach to producing robust, transparent, water-stable, and biodegradable cellulose-based bioplastics, offering a compelling alternative to petrochemical plastics.

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Zhao H., Hu G-C., Abraham B., et al. (2025). A sustainable cellulose bioplastic film with extraordinary mechanical performance regenerated by vapor-induced phase separation. The Innovation Materials 3:100133. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-mater.2025.100133

Zhao H., Hu G-C., Abraham B., et al. (2025). A sustainable cellulose bioplastic film with extraordinary mechanical performance regenerated by vapor-induced phase separation. The Innovation Materials 3:100133. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-mater.2025.100133

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A sustainable cellulose bioplastic film with extraordinary mechanical performance regenerated by vapor-induced phase separation

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A sustainable cellulose bioplastic film with extraordinary mechanical performance regenerated by vapor-induced phase separation

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