Sustainable Modification of Dehydrated Bacterial Cellulose by Polyethylene Glycol and Electron Beam Irradiation

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC), known for its three-dimensional nanofibrous structure, is a sustainable material with broad applications. However, BC’s high rigidity, when dehydrated, limits its utility in diverse industries such as fashion and healthcare. This study aims to overcome these limitations by a sustainable modification approach of dehydrated BC derived from Acetobacter xylinum (commercially produced by Minh Tam Coconut Co., Ltd. – Vietnam) using polyethylene glycol (PEG) and electron beam irradiation (EBI), a cutting-edge, fast, chemical additive-free, and waterless technology, with various absorbed doses (0, 50, 100, and 200 kGy), to fabricate a BC-based interpenetrating polymer network (IPN). Consequently, at an absorbed dose of 200 kGy, the EBI-BC/PEG exhibits significant cross-linking effects, enhancing softness with a 17-fold reduction in bending modulus (166.3 ± 41.0 MPa), decreased flexural rigidity (49.2 ± 12.1 µNm), improved thermal conductivity with a threefold increase in maximum heat flux (0.256 ± 0.024 W/cm²), and increased areal density of bonded PEG (148.7 ± 21.5 g/m²) compared to untreated BC. Besides, tensile strength (26.1 ± 2.5 MPa), and strain percentage (4.5 ± 0.5%) of EBI-BC/PEG (200 kGy) decrease relative to unirradiated BC/PEG (0 kGy), these properties are still improved better when compared to untreated BC. Additionally, EBI-induced cross-linking improves thermal degradation temperature. Besides, EBI-induced oxidation enhances moisture regain and reduces the contact angle compared to unirradiated BC/PEG. This research provides foundational insights into BC modification by EBI to address current limitations, especially applying in textile and leather industries, promoting sustainable development.

Graphical Abstract