Self-healable hydrophobic films fabricated by incorporating natural wax into cellulose matrix

Biodegradable cellulose films have high mechanical strength, excellent flexibility, and good transparency, which are potential candidate materials to replace petroleum-based packaging materials and disposable products. However, the poor hydrophobicity of cellulose films seriously limits their practical application. Herein, self-healing hydrophobic films were fabricated by incorporating natural wax into cellulose matrix. The effects of types of natural waxes, wax content, and annealing temperature on the performances of films were systematically investigated. The resultant films exhibited good hydrophobicity (water contact angle: ∼120°), and high tensile strength (>120 MPa), which could be completely biodegraded in natural soil (within 81 days). Importantly, the self-healing of hydrophobic films could be achieved by releasing wax from inside to surface of cellulose matrix during the annealing process. This work demonstrated a facile strategy for designing and developing hydrophobic and self-healable cellulose-based materials for packaging materials to replace petrochemical plastics, which is conducive to alleviate environmental problems caused by nondegradable plastic pollution.