POS4-0088
CCNC-Modulated Bacterial Cellulose Networks for High-Performance UV-Shielding Sunscreen Platforms
Topic
S4. Colloids, Interfaces, and Molecular Assemblies for Functional Soft Materials
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
Nayoung Kim (Kyung Hee University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Ultraviolet (UV) exposure is a major contributor to photoaging and skin cancer risk, emphasizing the importance of developing safer and more sustainable sunscreen formulations. Nevertheless, conventional sunscreen systems frequently suffer from a balance issue among viscosity regulation, dispersion stability, and skin spreadability. In this work, we present a bio-derived UV-protective platform composed of bacterial cellulose (BC) and carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals (CCNCs). CCNCs were employed as network-regulating additives to relax the highly entangled BC fibrillar structure, thereby lowering excessive viscosity while retaining the network integrity necessary for formulation stability. Rheological measurements revealed that the addition of CCNCs decreased the viscosity of BC-based systems by over 50%, while preserving shear-thinning behavior and an elastic-dominant viscoelastic response. Upon incorporation of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, the BC–CCNC network facilitated uniform particle distribution and enhanced UV-blocking capability. As a result, the developed formulation showed improved sun protection factor and UV-A protection factor compared to the BC formulation without CCNCs. Overall, these findings indicate that CCNC-assisted modulation of the BC network provides an effective strategy to simultaneously improve rheological processability and UV-shielding performance, demonstrating the potential of BC–CCNC networks as sustainable platforms for next-generation ecofriendly sunscreen applications.
