Molecular Dynamics Simulation Of A Superhydrophobic Cellulose Derivative Targeted For Eco-Friendly Packaging Material

A major issue concerned with using synthetic polymers as packaging materials is the difficulty in the disposal or reuse which in turn is leading to environmental pollution. Design of eco-friendly alternative materials or modified polymers is being done to overcome or address this issue. In this article, a design is proposed of a new cellulose derivative which consists of cellulose layered with nonacosan-10-ol and nonacosane-5,10-diol molecules targeted toward achieving superior nonwettability while assuring both physical strength and reusability. An atomistic model of this new material (called as Adulose from now) that had 24 cellulose chains and 48 molecules of each of the other wax materials is used in this study. Molecular dynamic simulations are performed on this material using LAMMPS software at 0 atm and 300 K for an isothermal-isobaric ensemble. The stress-strain behavior is studied by conducting deformation simulations while the contact angle simulations of this material are evaluated to confirm the nonwettability (or hydrophobicity). Preliminary simulations show that Adulose has very good mechanical properties like its ultimate stress value is almost similar to that of polyethylene and an average contact angle of over 150 degrees is achieved from the simulations.