Abstract:
Cellulose (CE) and keratin (FK) are abundant natural materials. Cellulose has been used in various fields of production and life, while keratin, which is the main component of feathers, has mostly been discarded. Compounding keratin into cellulose can make good use of waste materials and improve the properties of cellulose materials. Firstly, cellulose and keratin were dissolved with ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BmimCl), and epichlorohydrin (ECH) was used as a crosslinking agent to connect CE and FK into a network. The ionic liquid can shield the π-π deposition of graphene or carbon nanotubes, so that the carbon nanotubes or graphene can be well dispersed into the cellulose/keratin cross-linked network composite system to improve the electrical and mechanical properties of the material. The tensile strength and strain of the prepared composite film can reach 64.5 MPa and 58.0%, respectively. When bending 30°, 60° and 90°, the resistance would increase by 10%, 14% and 35%. The change of human motion behavior can be monitored by the change of resistance caused by the deformation of the film. Therefore, the composite film is very promising to be applied to wearable electronic devices that monitor motion, for sports, medical and other fields.