A Novel Thermoformable Bionanocomposite Based on Cellulose Nanocrystal-graft-Poly(ε-caprolactone)

This is the first report on a thermoformable bionanocomposite based on a natural nanocrystal and formed by grafting long polymer chains onto the surface of microcrystalline cellulose. For the cellulose nanocrystal-graft-poly(epsilon-caprolactone), the graft from strategy contributed to long and dense plasticizing PCL tails onto the CN surface as the key of thermoforming. The grafted PCL chains shielded the hydrophilic surface of CN and, hence, showed high water-resistance. Moreover, a strategy for developing new bionanocomposite materials based on natural nanocrystals has been presented.