Optical nanocomposites prepared by incorporating bacterial cellulose nanofibrils into poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)

A biocompatible polymeric nanocomposite was prepared by incorporating bacterial cellulose (BC) into a poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) matrix. The transparency of the PHB/BC nanocomposite was high due to the homogeneous nano-sized spherulite and nanofibril of PHB and BC, which are smaller than the wavelength of visible rays. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the PHB in the nanocomposite film showed peaks corresponding to the crystallized PHB. The thermal stability of PHB in the nanocomposite film has been improved. The morphology studies showed that the PHB molecules filled vacancies between BC nanofibrils. An increase in the mechanical properties was observed by incorporating the BC into the PHB matrix. This PHB/BC nanocomposite can be considered for various applications, such as display devices, tissue engineering scaffold, and food packaging, because of its improved mechanical properties along with biodegradability and biocompatibility. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.