Nacre-inspired starch-based bioplastic with excellent mechanical strength and electromagnetic interference shielding

Bioplastics have aroused significant interest in researchers to relieve the serious environmental pollution caused by the ubiquity of petroleum-based plastics. However, it remains a great challenge to construct functional bioplastics with excellent mechanical strength, water resistance, and heat resistance. Inspired by the interesting structure of nacre, a novel starch-based bioplastic was prepared via a self-assembly technique, using 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxy-oxidized cellulose nanofibers modified starch, nano-montmorillonite, and reduced graphene oxide as raw materials. Due to the unique layered structure and rich interfacial interaction, the starch-based bioplastic exhibited excellent mechanical properties, while the tensile strength was up to 37.39 MPa. Furthermore, it represented outstanding water resistance, heat resistance, repairability, renewability and biodegradability. Especially, the starch-based bioplastic demonstrated a strong electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE), which was higher than 35 dB with a thickness of 0.5 mm. These powerful properties provided the possibility for functional applications of starch-based bioplastics.