Cellulose Ionogel Regeneration with Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanoparticles: A Novel Approach for Reinforcing Cellulose Cryogels

Author(s): Bolaji Sadiku, Md Intaqer Arafat, Adesewa Maselugbo, Jeffrey Alston

This study focuses on producing ionogel derived cellulose cryogel nanocomposites with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nanoparticles to explore improvement in thermomechanical properties. Cellulose cryogels were produced using microcrystalline cellulose dissolved in ionic liquid (1-butyl 3-methyl imidazolium chloride) to form ionogels. The hBN is dispersed within the cellulose matrix during the ionogel formation while the cellulose cryogel composite is formed in situ through regeneration, solvent exchange, and freeze-drying steps. This study investigated the effect of varying concentrations of hBN on the properties of the produced cellulose cryogel nanocomposites. The results show that adding hBN significantly improved the thermomechanical properties of the cellulose cryogels, making them more suitable for various real-world applications. This research contributes to the development of sustainable and eco-friendly cryogel composites, which have great potential in various fields such as thermal insulation, biosensors, tissue engineering, and drug delivery.