Xiaofei Yan

Regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) fibers have garnered significant attention due to their remarkable biocompatibility and tunable biodegradability. However, their relatively poor mechanical performance limits their broader applications. Herein, we propose a simple and scalable one‐step wet spinning approach to fabricate high‐performance RSF composite fibers by incorporating two‐dimensional Ti ₃ C ₂ T _x MXene nanosheets and Ca ²⁺ ions. The synergistic reinforcement of Ca ²⁺ ‐induced and MXene‐assisted β‐sheet formation significantly enhanced the structural integrity and mechanical properties of the RSF fibers. The resulting composite fibers exhibited a high tensile strength (~234.1 MPa), improved thermal stability (MAXDTG ~ −2.1%/min), and increased glass transition temperatures (~179.0°C). In addition, both the microscopic morphology and the mechanical properties showed that the mechanical properties of the composite fiber are further enhanced after 2× stretching.

Poly(lactic acid)/poly(butylene succinate) blends, which are composed of biodegradable aliphatic polyesters, are promising candidates for sustainable polymer applications. However, their poor interfacial compatibility limits the simultaneous improvement of strength and ductility. This study aimed to regulate the interfacial structure and mechanical response of 70PLA/30PBS blends through reactive compatibilization with a multifunctional epoxy chain extender and reactive plasticization with epoxidized soybean oil. The blends were prepared by reactive melt extrusion and characterized by mechanical testing, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that 5 phr epoxy chain extender refined the dispersed phase and improved interfacial adhesion, giving a tensile strength of 76.89 MPa and an elongation at break of 261%. Further addition of 2 phr epoxidized soybean oil increased the elongation at break to 292% while maintaining a tensile strength of 65.06 MPa. The combined results suggest that the epoxy chain extender mainly provides reactive interfacial anchoring and structural support, whereas epoxidized soybean oil improves chain mobility and plastic energy dissipation. By distinguishing the effects of chain extender content, epoxidized soybean oil content, and premixing sequence within a fixed 70PLA/30PBS formulation platform, this work clarifies how reactive interfacial anchoring, reactive plasticization, and reaction‐distribution control jointly regulate crystallization behavior, interfacial morphology, and the strength–ductility balance of PLA/PBS blends.

This study prepared polylactic acid (PLA)/bio‐based nylon 11 (PA11) blends and reactive compatibilized PLA/PA11 composites using PA11 as the toughening agent and a chain extender (Joncryl ADR‐4468) as the compatibilizer. First, the microstructure of the PLA/PA11 blends was analyzed to investigate the morphological changes under varying component ratios and ADR concentrations. Subsequently, the effects of ADR on the crystallization behavior, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of PLA/PA11 blends were examined. The compatibilization and toughening mechanisms of the reactive compatibilized PLA/PA11 blends were also studied. The incorporation of ADR as a compatibilizer not only successfully enhanced the interfacial compatibility between PLA and PA11 but also significantly improved the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the reactive compatibilized PLA/PA11 blends. During the investigation of the compatibilization mechanism in reactive compatibilized PLA/PA11 blends, it was discovered that the epoxy groups of ADR reacted in situ with PLA and PA11 to form PLA‐g‐PA11 copolymers. This reaction improved the interfacial compatibility between PLA and PA11 and enhanced the interfacial forces. This provides theoretical support and a pathway for preparing high‐performance PLA‐based materials while also offering new possibilities for future toughening modifications of PLA‐based materials.

Fiber length and interface properties have significant effects on the mechanical characteristics of fiber-reinforced composites. In this work, effects of screw speed and fiber content on glass fiber (GF) length during the process of twin-screw extruder were investigated. And the influences of GF length on the mechanical characteristics of composites (PET/GF) were also studied. The GF surface was modified by the silane coupling agent (KH-550) with different concentrations of KH-550 solution. The results reveal that increasing the screw speed from 20 to 40 rpm at the same GF content leads to a decrease in GF length in PET/GF composites, resulting in reduced tensile strength and flexural strength. Moreover, a 3 wt% concentration of KH-550 enhances the tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength of PEF/KGF composites by 21.4 %, 3.1 %, and 26.6 %, respectively.

Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) selectively localize in the polyamide 11 (PA11) phase of polylactic acid (PLA)/PA11 immiscible blends, regardless of whether PA11 is the continuous or dispersed phase, due to favorable interfacial interactions, as confirmed by morphological and thermodynamic analysis. CNFs‐reinforced composites were fabricated via melt processing using functional masterbatches (PLA‐g‐CNFs and PA11‐g‐CNFs). At low loadings (0.5–1.0 wt%), CNFs significantly enhance flexural strength and thermal stability, with improved stress transfer and restricted polymer chain mobility contributing to the performance gains. In contrast, higher CNFs loading (up to 3.0 wt%) leads to nanofiller agglomeration, acting as stress concentrators and resulting in reduced tensile strength and ductility. The use of functional masterbatches enables precise control over CNFs dispersion and interfacial design, allowing optimal composite performance through synergistic regulation of filler content and phase localization. Microstructural observations confirm uniform CNFs distribution at low loadings and increasing heterogeneity at higher concentrations. Crystallization behavior analysis reveals accelerated nucleation kinetics in CNF‐containing systems. Overall, the incorporation of low‐loading CNFs via tailored masterbatches effectively improves the stiffness, strength, and thermal resilience of immiscible PLA/PA11 biocomposites, demonstrating a viable strategy for high‐performance sustainable materials.

The addition of unmodified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to epoxy resin will cause a decrease in the initial thermal decomposition temperature of the EP/CNT composite material, likely due to the weak interfacial adhesion between the nanofiller and its surrounding matrix. As such, functionalized drug carriers using CNTs could overcome this; for example, after silane modification, the diameter of CNTs is increased from 32 nm to 38 nm. The fracture cross-section of EP/CNT composite material is rough on the surface and exhibits ductile fracture, while the pure EP material presents a brittle fracture cross-section with a smooth fracture cross-section. It has also been proven that the dispersibility of CNTs is improved, along with an enhancement in the degree of dispersion. Thus, as compared to pure EP, after surface treatment of the CNTs, the tensile strength and elastic modulus of the EP/CNT composite material were improved up to a value of 134.6% and 32.9%, respectively, while the elongation at break decreased to 60.09%.

The frequent occurrence of respiratory infectious diseases has made it difficult for traditional antibacterial materials to meet practical needs in recent years. There was an urgent need to develop new antimicrobial materials with stronger antimicrobial effects and biosafety. In this paper, the carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCTS)/silk fibroin (SF) composite microspheres were synthesized through self‐assembly, and the Ag⁺/CMCTS/SF composite microspheres were prepared by loading the Ag⁺ onto their surface. It investigated the effect of CMCTS contents, SF on the size and secondary structure of CMCTS/SF composite microspheres, and the antibacterial activity and mechanism of Ag⁺/CMCTS/SF composite microspheres. The results showed that the average particle size distribution size of CMCTS/SF composite microspheres was ranged from approximately 593–1115 nm. When CMCTS was added at 50 wt%, the content of β‐sheet structures in silk fibroin microspheres was the largest at 38.6%. And the CMCTS/SF composite microspheres loaded with Ag⁺ enhanced the bactericidal rate against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by 27.51% and 36.39%, respectively. In addition, the Ag⁺/CMCTS/SF composite microspheres have high biological safety, providing a new method for designing an efficient, green, and safe composite antibacterial agent.