Structural mechanisms of cellulose-based nanocomposites mimicking the structure of articular cartilage under uniaxial compression probed by in situ SAXS.

A new method combining frontal ultrafiltration and ultrasound, followed by UV photocrosslinking enabled the fabrication of orthotropic CNC/PEGDA (poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate) nanocomposites with the structure of articular cartilage. In situ SAXS compression/relaxation mechanical tests demonstrated this orthotropic organization as well as elastic behavior with a Young's modulus of 0.76 MPa, similar to articular cartilage.