Insertion of nano-crystalline cellulose into epoxy resin via resilin to construct a novel elastic adhesive

Development of high-performance bio-nanocomposite adhesives is of high interest due to their environmentally friendly nature and superior mechanical properties in outdoor environments. Nano-crystalline cellulose (NCC) and resilin are among the most promising bio-nanofillers, providing strength and elasticity, respectively. A novel bio-nanocomposite comprised of NCC and resilin fused to a cellulose binding domain (Res.-CBD) is presented. As a case study, commercial epoxy adhesive was chosen as a matrix for the bio-nanocomposite adhesive. Insertion of hydrophilic NCC into hydrophobic resins, such as epoxy, is typically performed using solvent exchange, chemical modification, emulsifier addition or mixing with water-borne resins, techniques which either limit the material’s application range or which are considered environmentally unfriendly. The unique approach presented here employed Res.-CBD as a surfactant-like agent supportive of the direct insertion of water-suspended NCC into an epoxy resin. The presented approach involves binding of Res.-CBD to NCC through its CBD domain and a chemical reaction between the resin epoxide groups and Res.-CBD amine moieties. The resulting bio-nano material shows a 50 % increase in the Young’s modulus and a 20 % decrease in the tan(δ), compared to pristine epoxy. This novel epoxy adhesive can be advantageous in applications where higher elasticity and Young’s modulus are required.