We report on a sustainable route to protective nanocomposite coatings, where one of the components, nanocellulose fibrils, is derived from trees and the glass matrix is an inexpensive sol–gel organic–inorganic hybrid of zirconium alkoxide and an epoxy-functionalized silane. The hydrophilic nature of the colloidal nanocellulose fibrils is exploited to obtain a homogeneous one-pot suspension of the nanocellulose in the aqueous sol–gel matrix precursors solution. The mixture is then sprayed to form nanocomposite coatings of a well-dispersed, random in-plane nanocellulose fibril network in a continuous organic–inorganic glass matrix phase. The nanocellulose incorporation in the sol–gel matrix resulted in nanostructured composites with marked effects on salient coating properties including optical transmittance, hardness, fracture energy, and water contact angle. The particular role of the nanocellulose fibrils on coating fracture properties, important for coating reliability, was analyzed and discussed in terms of fibril morphology, molecular matrix, and nanocellulose/matrix interactions.

中文翻译：

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迈向混合玻璃基体中包含纳米纤维素的可持续多功能涂料

我们报告了一种保护性纳米复合涂料的可持续发展途径，其中一种成分，即纳米纤维素原纤维，是从树木中提取的，而玻璃基体是一种廉价的溶胶-凝胶有机-无机烷氧基锆与环氧官能化硅烷的混合物。胶体纳米纤维素原纤维的亲水性被用来在水性溶胶-凝胶基质前体溶液中获得一锅均匀的纳米纤维素悬浮液。然后将混合物喷涂形成连续有机-无机玻璃基体相中分散良好的随机面内纳米纤维素原纤维网络的纳米复合涂层。纳米纤维素掺入溶胶-凝胶基质中后，会形成纳米结构复合材料，对显着涂层性能（包括透光率，硬度，断裂能，和水的接触角。纳米纤维原纤维对涂层断裂性能的特殊作用，对涂层的可靠性很重要，已从纤维形态，分子基质和纳米纤维素/基质相互作用方面进行了分析和讨论。