Smart Cotton Functionalized With Self-Implanted Palladium Nanopanicles: Full Ultraviolet Shielding Potency

Unique technique is currently demonstrated for preparation of ultraviolet protective cotton fabrics with full shielding effect, via self-implantation of palladium nanopanciles. Palladium (Pd) nanopanciles were in-situ immobilized within native & cationized cotton using two different concentrations of palladium precursor (20 & 60 mM) under strong acidic (pH 2) and basic (pH 11.5) media. Cationization (50% and 100%) of cotton fabrics was performed in order to increase the accessibility of fabric for controllable implantation of palladium nanopanciles. Size distribution of palladium nanopanciles in supernatant solution was estimated via Transmission electron microscopy to be 3.2 nm. The estimated data showed that the sample prepared with the highest cationization percent and highest concentration of palladium precursor in strong alkaline medium exhibited the highest yellowness index, color strength and excellent ultraviolet shielding effects. The yellowness index was significantly increased from 15.67 for cationized cotton to 74.99 for the sample prepared with the highest cationization percent and highest concentration of Pd+2 in alkaline medium (Pd-CC (100)4). Tensile strength was insignificantly decreased from 93.2 MPa for cationized cotton to 84.5 MPa for Pd-CC (100)4. Ultraviolet shielding effect was superiorly enhanced with implantation of palladium nanopanciles. The UV protection factor (UPF) was also excellency increased from 1.3 (insufficient) for native cotton to 256.6 (excellent) for Pd-CC (100)4.

Cellulose-Based Films with Ultraviolet Shielding Performance Prepared Directly from Waste Corrugated Pulp

As the most important paper packaging materials, corrugated cartons with a tremendous amount of production demonstrate several advantages and have been widely used in daily life. However, waste corrugated cartons (WCCs) are usually recycled and reused to produce new corrugated cartons, and their properties are decreased dramatically after several cycles. Therefore, recycling and converting WCCs into cellulose-based film with high value is attractive and significant. Herein, without any pretreatment, the waste old corrugated cartons were directly dissolved in ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, and semitransparent cellulose-based films were successfully fabricated. It was indicated that cellulose-based films displayed better UV-shielding property and hydrophobicity than traditional cellulose films. Interestingly, the cellulose-based films regenerated from deionized water displayed higher tensile strength, elongation at break, and toughness. Their tensile strength could reach 23.16 MPa, exhibiting enormous superiority as wrapping and packaging materials to replace the petrochemical polyethylene membrane (8.95 MPa). Consequently, these renewable, biodegradable, and high-valued cellulose-based films were successfully fabricated to simultaneously realize the valorization of old corrugated cartons and supplement the petrochemical plastics.