This study aimed to address issues related to hydrophilicity, barrier properties, and mechanical performance in starch-based films by incorporating Pickering emulsions stabilized with nano-fibrillated bacterial cellulose (BC). Emulsions were added to the film-forming suspension at varying concentrations (1.0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, and 7.5% v/v) for comparison. The films were evaluated using water vapor permeability (WVP), contact angle, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and tensile tests. The results showed a significant reduction in film hydrophilicity, with the contact angle increasing from 49.7° ± 1.5 to 71.0° ± 1.4, and improved water vapor barrier properties, with WVP decreasing from 0.085 ± 0.04 to 0.016 ± 0.01 g·mm/h·m2·kPa. FTIR analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of the emulsion into the starch matrix. Among the tested concentrations, 2.5% provided an optimal balance, increasing hydrophobicity while maintaining mechanical strength. These findings demonstrate that Pickering emulsions are an effective strategy for enhancing the functional properties of starch films.

Cellulose aerogels are solid materials with high porosity, low density, and large surface area, and show excellent absorption of mechanical stress. These characteristics are appropriate for the development of new high-value products. However, over the years, it has been increasingly difficult to compare different studies about this material due to the different approaches used. In the present work, three different raw materials, bacterial cellulose from synthetic medium (BC), bacterial cellulose from cashew juice permeate (BCP), and eucalyptus nanocellulose (EC) were double-functionalized with TEMPO oxidation followed by silanization and freeze-dried, resulting in three different types of cellulose aerogels. These aerogels were evaluated for their performance in the absorption of organic oils/solvents and mechanical properties. The raw materials lead to aerogels with different characteristics. BC aerogel has the best mechanical properties and absorption capacity after 7 cycles; BCP aerogel presented the highest values for oil absorption and EC aerogel for organic solvent absorption.