The currently reported methods for preparing cellulose acetate hydrogels use chemical reagents as cross-linking agents, and the prepared ones are non-porous structured cellulose acetate hydrogels. Nonporous cellulose acetate hydrogels limit the range of applications, such as limiting cell attachment and nutrient delivery in tissue engineering. This research creatively proposed a facile method to prepare cellulose acetate hydrogels with porous structures. Water was added to the cellulose acetate–acetone solution as an anti-solvent to induce the phase separation of the cellulose acetate–acetone solution to obtain a physical gel with a network structure, where the cellulose acetate molecules undergo re-arrangement during the replacement of acetone by water to obtain hydrogels. The SEM and BET test results showed that the hydrogels are relatively porous. The maximum pore size of the cellulose acetate hydrogel is 380 nm, and the specific surface area reaches 62 m²/g. The porosity of the hydrogel is significantly higher than that of the cellulose acetate hydrogel reported in the previous literature. The XRD results show that the nanofibrous morphology of cellulose acetate hydrogels is caused by the deacetylation reaction of cellulose acetate.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, as a non-toxic, harmless, and low-cost photocatalytic material, have attracted much attention from the scientific and industrial communities. However, due to their small particle size and high surface energy, ZnO nanoparticles are prone to agglomeration. In addition, ZnO nanoparticles only have catalytic activity and electron–hole pairing under ultraviolet light. Therefore, Copper(I) oxide (Cu₂O)-ZnO/cellulose composites with excellent photocatalytic performance were fabricated by loading Cu₂O crystals and using cellulose fiber substrate in this work. Cu₂O can increase the light absorption range (including ultraviolet light and visible light) of ZnO/cellulose composites. Moreover, Cellulose fibers can improve the contact area to pollution and photostability of the Cu₂O/ZnO nanoparticles, thereby enhancing the photocatalytic activity. The Cu₂O-ZnO/cellulose composite showed the highest photocatalytic activity for Methyl orange (MO) degradation, which was approximately 40% and 10% times higher than those of the ZnO/cellulose and Cu₂O/ZnO composites, respectively. Moreover, the degradation rate of phenol reached 100% within 80 min. The highly enhanced activity of the Cu₂O-ZnO/cellulose composite is attributed to the enlargement of the light absorption range and the formation of heterojunctions between the counterparts, which effectively suppress the recombination of the photogenerated charge carriers. Overall, this work aims to improve the photocatalytic activities of ZnO/cellulose composites by loading Cu₂O crystals, hoping to provide a novel and efficient photocatalyst for wastewater treatment.

Despite their high porosity and wide applicability, silica xerogels face mechanical strength limitations for high-performance applications. This study presents an ambient-pressure sol-gel strategy utilizing calcium-glycerol synergy to produce robust xerogels with enhanced properties. Physicochemical analyses reveal that controlled Ca²⁺ incorporation (optimal at 6 wt.%) accelerates gelation kinetics while establishing a hybrid network through ionic complexation and hydrogen bonding. The resulting xerogels achieve exceptional compressive strength (30.8 MPa) while maintaining uniform mesoporosity (50–90 nm pore size). Remarkably, the as-prepared silica xerogels demonstrate outstanding thermal insulation, maintaining a 220 °C temperature differential in 300 °C environments. These results prove that the ambient-pressure sol-gel strategy utilizing calcium-glycerol synergy can enhance the mechanical performance and thermal insulation performance of silica xerogels with the dual actions of Ca²⁺-induced network reinforcement via silanol coordination and glycerol-mediated stress relief during ambient drying. Overall, this work can offer a scalable, energy-efficient approach to produce high-performance silica xerogels with huge potential in building envelopes and aerospace systems.

The interfacial incompatibility and insufficient mechanical performance of polylactic acid (PLA)/cellulose composites have severely restricted their practical applications. To address the critical issue of interfacial incompatibility in PLA/cellulose composites, this work developed a novel strategy employing rosin emulsion for blending modification of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), followed by a one-step extrusion process to fabricate PLA composites. The corresponding analyses confirmed that the rosin has been successfully added to MCC surfaces, forming the hydrophobic interface while maintaining the cellulose I crystalline structure. Subsequently, rosin emulsion-modified MCC (MCC-R) reinforced PLA (PLA/MCC-R) composites were fabricated via twin-screw extrusion at varying MCC-R contents. The testing results illustrated that the introduction of 8 wt% MCC-R can enhance the mechanical properties of PLA/MCC-R composites with the flexural strength (125.5 MPa), tensile strength (30.8 MPa), Young’s modulus (1.19 GPa), and elongation at break (3.07%), which was attributed to enhanced filler dispersion and interfacial stress transfer. Overall, this work established a facile and sustainable strategy for developing multifunctional PLA composites with engineered interfaces and mechanical robustness, which is vital for practical application. The as-prepared PLA composites show promising application prospects in environmentally friendly packaging, biodegradable disposable products, and lightweight structural components.