Ionic liquid mediated technology for fabrication of cellulose film using gutta percha as an additive

A great paradigm for state-of-the-art biomaterials is to use renewable lignocelluloses with ionic liquid-based green regimes. Novel transparent films were successfully prepared from the purified eucalyptus cellulose by the moderate incorporation of gutta percha (GP, 5-15%) using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([bmim]OAc) as a versatile solvent. The refined GP was obtained from Eucommia ulmoides Oliver after hot-water extraction, alkaline treatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and extended petroleum ether purification. The cellulose/GP films exhibited a well-distributed and smooth structure, and the crystalline structure of composite films was transformed from cellulose I to II. The incorporation of 5-10% GP obviously improved the tensile strength of films (129-139 MPa) as compared to the pure cellulose film (81 MPa). Moreover, the novel hybrid films showed excellent thermal stability and oxygen barrier property as a result of the reinforcement by GP. The cellulose/GP films with prominent tensile strength, thermal stability and oxygen permeability could be tuned via varying the ratio of GP to cellulose matrix, which can be exploited as a potential candidate of pollution-free, biodegradable and renewable cellulose-based composites for the substitute of petroleum derived packaging materials.