Influence of Molecular Weight of PEG on Biodegradation and Morphology Properties of Cellulose Nanofibrils/Poly(Lactic Acid) Composite Materials

As we all know poly(lactic acid), cellulose nanofibrils and poly (ethylene glycol) possess good biocompatibility. Also, PLA/cellulose nanofibrils/PEG ternary composite materials have a good developmental prospect. These composite materials in medical field have a potential application. Nanocomposites of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) reinforced with cellulose nanofibrils compatibilized with different molecular weight of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were prepared for the first time. The composites obtained by solvent casting methods from N, N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAc) were characterized by biodegrade in simulated body fluid (SBF), atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM). The effects of the molecular weight of PEG on the degradation properties of three kinds of composite materials after soaking in SBF were detected. The results showed that with the addition of the PEG (4 wt%), the weight loss of the composites with low molecular weight of PEG was higher distinctly than the others, which was verified by performing SEM and AFM.