Hydrogen and covalent bonding synergistically reinforced wood-based composites inspired by nacre

How to efficiently utilize fast-growing timber to create sustainable materials with excellent mechanical properties is important for resource utilization and environmental protection. Here, a simple yet efficient approach to construct cellulose-based sustainable materials through robust and effective microscopic interface design inspired by nacre was developed. A 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) -oxidized wood after delignification and TEMPO-oxidation as the “brick”, then impregnated it with PVA as the “mortar”, and added borax as the cross-linking agent. This matrix was hot-presseed to produce a borax and PVA reinforced TEMPO-oxidized wood (BPTW) with “brick and mortar” structure, synergistically reinforced through hydrogen and covalent bonding. The results show that the BPTW has higher tensile strength (234 MPa), higher flexural strength (224 MPa), better thermal stability, flame retardancy, and water resistance compared to natural wood. Additionally, the entire process does not involve the use of adhesives, which reduces energy consumption and provides a methods for producing a lightweight, high-strength,and large-scale sustainable material.