Stiff all-bacterial cellulose nanopaper with enhanced mechanical and barrier properties

Abstract This work reports on the development of fully bacterial cellulose-derived stiff nanopapers by the infiltration of bacterial cellulose nanocrystals (BCNCs) into bacterial cellulose (BC) membranes. The incorporation of the nanocrystals into BC membranes led to a more dense and compacted structure with smoother surface, improving both, the oxygen barrier properties due to the tortuous path created by the BCNCs, and the mechanical performance. This simple and practical method provides a new approach to make stiff nanopapers fully derived from BC with potential applications in eco-friendly packaging.