Professor Yi Zhao’s research group from the College of Textile Science and Engineering at Donghua University has been conducting a series of studies on textile surface/interface enhancement and green technologies, focusing on polarity induction, dynamic covalent bonding, and deposition anchoring mediated transport in multidimensional textile interfaces under complex operating conditions. These efforts have established low carbon pathways for the green enhancement of high performance functional textiles. Recently, in collaboration with Professor Nam Joon Cho and Researcher Chenchen Zhou from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, the group has made new progress in the green, non destructive surface/interface functionalization of nonwoven materials. The relevant results, titled “Micro/Nanoarchitectonics of Ethanol Unfolded Keratin for Dual Function Biodegradable Nonwovens”, were published in the international journal Advanced Functional Materials and selected as the cover article. Ni Ruiyan, a Ph.D. candidate, and Deng Qiong, a master’s student, both from the College of Textile Science and Engineering at Donghua University, are the co first authors. Donghua University is the first corresponding institution.
With the increasing demand for green manufacturing and material functionalization, how to achieve surface/interface functionalization of nonwoven materials without compromising the original structure and properties of the substrate has become a critical challenge in this field. Traditional functionalization methods often rely on complex pretreatments or involve the use of toxic chemicals, which tend to damage the original porous structure and intrinsic properties of the material, making it difficult to simultaneously achieve greenness, stability, and universality. To address these issues, this study, based on the amphiphilic conformational properties of proteins, proposes a green, non destructive surface/interface functionalization strategy using polarity induced keratin self assembly.
(Preparation and application of keratin functionalized jute/polylactic acid nonwovens)
This strategy uses ethanol to induce the unfolding and chain extension of keratin molecules, promoting their stable reconfiguration on the surface of nonwoven substrate fibers. A uniform and stable protein functional layer is thus constructed without blocking pores or sacrificing the original properties of the material.
(Mechanistic analysis of ethanol induced keratin unfolding and adsorption on PLA and jute surfaces)
The keratin functionalized jute/polylactic acid nonwoven material prepared by this strategy exhibits significantly improved wettability (water contact angle reduced from 121° to 0°), liquid holding capacity (3.2 times that of the pristine substrate), and mechanical properties. It simultaneously possesses organic pollutant adsorption and plant cultivation capabilities, demonstrating potential applications in soilless culture, brownfield remediation, and environmental governance.
(Wettability, water retention, and mechanical properties of keratin functionalized jute/polylactic acid nonwovens)
(Dye adsorption performance of keratin functionalized jute/polylactic acid nonwovens)
(Cultivation performance and biodegradability of keratin functionalized jute/polylactic acid nonwovens)
The above research was supported by the General Program and Young Scientists Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Shanghai Oriental Talent (Youth) Program, and the Shanghai Sailing Program. The research group will continue to deepen the surface/interface enhancement integration of functional nonwovens, promote scalable manufacturing, and strive for breakthroughs in the industrialization of high performance functional nonwoven forming technologies.
Original link: https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202530114
