Favorable combination of foldability and toughness of transparent cellulose nanofibril films by a PET fiber-reinforced strategy.

Transparent cellulose nanofibril (CNF) films have been considered a promising sustainable alternative for nonrenewable and nonbiodegradable petroleum-based plastic films. However, their relatively low toughness and poor folding endurance are two remaining challenges for commercial application. In this work, inspired by fiber-reinforced polymer, a transparent CNF film with favorable combination of toughness and folding endurance is demonstrated by a facile and scalable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber-reinforced strategy. The as-prepared PET fiber-reinforced CNF film not only exhibits a maximum average toughness of 13.7 ± 2.4 MJ/m3 that is nearly 4 times stronger than that of pure CNF film (3.7 ± 1.1 MJ/m3), but also presents superior bending flexibility with a folding endurance of over 104 times that is an order of magnitude higher than that of pure CNF film (~4 × 103 times). Moreover, its underlying principle for the enhanced toughness and foldability is explored. This work provides a facile strategy to prepare tough yet foldable CNF film and could promote its industrial uses in the fields of energy storage devices, packaging, and electronic devices.