Modified cellulose-based hybrid materials: Effect of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles on the thermal insulation property

Cellulose which is the most abundant and renewable biopolymer is drawing a tremendous level of attention, that will continue to grow in the future driven by the sustainability trend. In this study, cellulose was extracted and functionalized using a chemical modification and blended with metallic nanoparticles such as zinc oxide (ZnONPs) and copper oxide (CuO-NPs) that take a growing interest related to their unsurpassed quintessential physical and chemical properties. SEM results indicate that the metallic nanoparticles were highly prepared and attached to the surface of the modified cellulose (MC). FTIR confirmed the successful functionalization of cellulose, while XRD results showed the characteristic diffraction peaks of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles. DSC reveals that the thermal stability of the modified cellulose increased with the addition of CuO-NPs and ZnO-NPs. The TGA/DTA analysis evaluates the thermal degradation of all cellulosic materials and affirms higher stability of ZnNPs/MC compared to MC and CuO-NPs/MC. The heat insulation performances were evaluated using a heat insulation device constructed at our laboratory, which exhibits the highest insulation of ZnO-NPs/MC than CuONPs/MC.

Automated summary

Cellulose, as the most abundant and renewable biopolymer, has drawn significant attention and will continue to do so in the future due to sustainability trends. This study extracted and functionalized cellulose, blending it with metallic nanoparticles like zinc oxide and copper oxide. The resulting materials showed enhanced thermal stability and insulation performance, with zinc oxide nanoparticles/cellulose demonstrating the highest insulation.