Strong and Tough Cellulose Nanofibrils Composite Films: Mechanism of Synergetic Effect of Hydrogen Bonds and Ionic Interactions

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) have been exploited for different applications, such as nanocomposites, gas separation, flexible electronics, and fuel cells, due to their unique properties. To fulfill different demands regarding the utilization of CNFs, one critical step is to develop strong and tough CNF composites. In this study, facile synthesis of strong and tough nanocellulose films was demonstrated using a strategy that employs the synergetic effect of hydrogen bonds and ionic interactions in the films. With the addition of chitosan (CS) and copper ion (Cu²⁺), the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the newly developed film (CNF-CS-Cu) increased by 104% and 75%, respectively; more impressively, the toughness of CNF-CS-Cu improved by 560% compared to pure CNF. The hydrogen bonds and ionic interactions in the films were verified by attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Results confirmed that the combination of hydrogen bonds and ionic interactions could yield much better performance in nanocellulose films. The development of facile, low-cost, scalable, and ecofriendly processing methods and formulations for the fabrication of strong nanocellulose-based films are essential and would significantly impact widespread utilization of such materials for a variety of applications requiring high performance.