Enhancing comprehensive performances of polybenzoxazine through integration of soft core-soft shell cellulose-based nanoparticles

To further increasing the toughness performance of thermoset resins without sacrificing their other properties is still a challenge task. In this study, the soft core-soft shell nanoparticles based on polydopamine-modified cellulose nanocrystals (P-CNC) were synthesized and seamlessly integrated with Bisphenol A-aniline benzoxazine (BA-a). Notably, the results underscore the remarkable impact of a mere 0.2 wt% of P-CNC on BA-a, boosting the impact strength of the modified system to 19.5 kJ/m(2). This achievement represents a substantial 140.7% increase compared with pure polybenzoxazine. Moreover, the flexural strength reaches 133.4 MPa, surpassing pure polybenzoxazine by 16.2%. And the modified system exhibits a 10% weight loss temperature (Td10) at 321.7 degrees C, accompanied by a char yield of 27.6%. This holistic approach results in a notable enhancement of the toughness performance while concurrently maintaining the flexural strength and the thermal stability of the modified system. Consequently, the integration of soft core-soft shell nanoparticles emerges as a promising strategy for enhancing thermoset resin properties without undermining their existing exceptional attributes.