Investigation of surface‐pegylated nanocellulose as reinforcing agent on PBAT biodegradable nanocomposites

Abstract In the present work, nanocellulose (NC) has been surface‐pegylated and further employed as reinforcement in poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) through the melting process. The nanocomposites showed a significant stiffness increase, especially the 2% pegylated‐NC, due to the good interaction between the modified NC and the matrix. Also the pegylation improved the filler‐PBAT adhesion, which resulted in higher thermal stability and low crystallinity. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the strong interaction between the 2% pegylated‐NC, morphological analysis confirmed the filler adhesion. The water absorption indicated that the pegylated‐NC has a low tendency to absorb water, which improves its applicability, for example, as a packaging material. This unique study is of great value for the future design of pegylated‐NC biodegradable nanocomposites with tailored properties.