Functional Hydrogel Materials Based on Bacterial Cellulose

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC) gels have unique nano-fibrous, porous, and layered structures which can have applications in many fields. We report the preparation of three types of functional composites such as hydrophobic aerogels, thermoresponsive hydrogels with high mechanical strength, and sea cucumber-mimicking hydrogels from BC pellicles and other functional materials. Physical properties of the composites were enhanced by hierarchical structures of BC gels. We hope that these innovative material design strategies will open a door to an exploration of these materials as novel smart materials for practical applications.