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Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-08-18 Origin: Site
Driven by the wave of green technology and sustainable development, nanocellulose , as a nano-scale material derived from natural cellulose, is becoming a 'star material' in the field of materials science with its high specific surface area, high strength and biodegradability. However, the strong hydrophilicity imparted by its rich hydroxyl groups on the surface has become a key bottleneck limiting its application in non-polar media. The hydrophobic modification technology imparts nanocellulose waterproof, oil-proof and compatible characteristics with hydrophobic substrates, which is becoming the core path to unlock its high-value applications.
The physical adsorption method loads hydrophobic substances such as surfactants, quaternary ammonium salts or copolymers on the surface of nanocellulose through weak interactions such as van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds. The team from Tianjin University of Science and Technology used the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to modify cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) to successfully prepare a hydrophobic material with a contact angle of 120°. Its dispersion stability is increased by 3 times in organic solvents and the mechanical strength retention rate exceeds 90%. The diblock copolymer modification technology developed by the team of Nanjing Forestry University jumps from 48° to 101° through hydrogen bond adsorption of polymethyl methacrylate-b-acrylic acid (PMMA-b-PAA), and the contact angle of nanocellulose jumps from 48° to 101°, while the Young's modulus is increased by 40%.
Chemical modification introduces hydrophobic groups on the surface of nanocellulose through reactions such as esterification and silanization. The team of South China University of Technology used acetylation modification technology to increase the contact angle of the TEMPO oxidized nanocellulose membrane from 46.3° to 66.9° while maintaining 95% transparency. The silanization modification process developed by the Zhejiang University team has constructed a —Si—O—C—hydrophobic network through reaction of trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) with nanocellulose, so that the contact angle of the aerogel reaches 138° and the oil absorption ratio is as high as 78g/g. What is more noteworthy is that the methyl trimethoxysilane (MTMS) modification technology forms a superhydrophobic coating on the surface of the filter paper through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, with a contact angle of 160° and a 60% lower cost than traditional fluorosilane.
Polymer grafting technology achieves persistent hydrophobic modification by grafting hydrophobic polymer chains on the surface of nanocellulose. The National University of Singapore team used atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technology to graft polystyrene (PS) onto the surface of nanocellulose to prepare a composite material with a contact angle of up to 150°, which increased its dispersion in the polylactic acid matrix by five times. The reactive solubilizer technology developed by the team of East China Normal University increases the dispersion of the modified material in polycaprolactone by 3 times and increases the tensile strength by 25%.
Modified nanocellulose has shown great potential in the field of food packaging. The quaternary ammonium modified CNC/PS composite film developed by the Nanjing Forestry University team has reduced the water vapor transmittance (WVTR) to 0.5g/(m²·24h), which is 3 times higher than that of traditional polyethylene films, and the inhibition rate of Staphylococcus aureus reaches 99.9%. In the field of pharmaceutical packaging, the hydrophobic nanocellulose membrane prepared by the team of South China University of Technology can extend the shelf life of the drug by 50%, and the biodegradation cycle is shortened to 6 months.
Silylated modified nanocellulose aerogels have performed outstandingly in the field of water treatment. The MTMS modified aerogel developed by the Zhejiang University team has an adsorption amount of crude oil of 35g/g, and the adsorption efficiency is maintained after 5 recycling. The superhydrophobic/super-lipophilic nanocellulose membrane developed by the team of East China University of Science and Technology achieves an oil-water separation efficiency of 99.9% in oil-containing wastewater treatment, and its anti-pollution performance is 10 times higher than that of traditional polypropylene membranes.
In the field of flexible electronics, nanocellulose-based composite materials are breaking through traditional limitations. The hydrophobic nanocellulose/graphene composite electrode developed by the Nanjing University team has a resistance change rate of less than 2% when the bending radius reaches 0.5mm, which is 3 times higher than that of the ITO electrode. The nanocellulose/polyurethane composite film prepared by the Southeast University team has a light transmittance of 92%, and the tensile strength has been increased to 120MPa. It has been successfully applied to the foldable display back panel.
Modified nanocellulose shows unique advantages in the field of biomedicine. The HA@DOX@CNC nanocarrier developed by Ji-Hye's team has increased the accumulation of doxorubicin in tumor tissue by 8 times and reduced systemic toxicity by 60%. The imitation lotus fiber spiral structure BHF hydrogel prepared by the team of the School of Medicine of Zhejiang University has a toughness of 116.3MJ/m³, which is highly matched with the human cartilage mechanical properties and has become an ideal alternative material for artificial joints.
According to market research institutions, the global nanocellulose market size will grow from US$1.2 billion in 2025 to US$4.5 billion in 2030, of which hydrophobic modified products will account for more than 60%. At present, technological breakthroughs are focusing on three major directions: First, the development of bio-based modifiers with low environmental risks, such as palm wax modified materials, which have achieved a contact angle of 148° and the degradation cycle has been shortened to 6 months; Second, the promotion of process optimization, plasma pretreatment technology has reduced the dosage of modifiers by 30% and reduced energy consumption by 25%; Third, the establishment of an interdisciplinary innovation alliance, such as the 'biomass material modification' production and research platform led by East China Normal University, which has realized the energy production and production of modified aerogels in pilot production.
At the policy level, China has included nanocellulose materials in the 'Strategic Emerging Industry Classification (2025)', with a R&D subsidy ratio of 45%, and has set up a special fund of 2 billion yuan to support the research and development of waste recycling technology. On the enterprise side, a certain automobile giant has applied modified aerogel to battery pack heat insulation, reducing the temperature difference of the battery pack from 15℃ to 3℃, and increasing the cycle life under high temperature conditions by 20%. The recycling and remodeling technology developed by a start-up company has reduced production costs by 28%, and the product has passed UL flame retardant certification and REACH environmental certification.
From the nanoscale breakthrough in the laboratory to the industrial application of hundreds of billions of yuan, the hydrophobic modification technology of nanocellulose is reshaping the boundaries of materials science. With the deep integration of bio-based modifiers, intelligent responsive materials and 3D printing technology, this green material derived from nature will surely launch a new round of industrial revolution in the fields of environmentally friendly packaging, flexible electronics, biomedicine, etc., and provide Chinese solutions for the sustainable development of mankind.
