High performance PVA/lignin nanocomposite films with excellent water vapor barrier and UV-shielding properties.

High performance poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/lignin nanomicelle (LNM) nanocomposite films with good vapor barrier and advanced UV-shielding properties were fabricated in this study. LNM was homogeneously distributed in the PVA matrix and strong robust hydrogen bonds were successfully constructed between LNM and PVA matrix. With only 5 wt% loading of LNM into the PVA/LNM nanocomposite, the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) was declined by about 189% compared with pure PVA. Moreover, after introducing lignin, the PVA nanocomposite films showed improved tensile strength and toughness, excellent UV-blocking and good thermal stability. As both lignin and PVA are biodegradable, this study shows a meaningful design approach for biodegradable functional nanocomposite films using cheap and easily available biomass and biodegradable raw materials.