Fabrication of core–shell type poly(NIPAm)-encapsulated citral and its application on bamboo as an anti-molding coating

Bamboo is a widely used renewable and degradable biomass material; however, its sustainable utilisation is hindered by its susceptibility to mold. The current bamboo anti-mold technology is mainly based on organic chemical agents; these agents can easily induce mold resistance in bamboo with long-term use, and can even adversely affect human health. In the present study, the poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAm)/citral nanohydrogel was prepared by encapsulating the natural antibiotic citral in PNIPAm for the anti-mold treatment of bamboo. The results revealed that this nanohydrogel exhibited a core–shell system with citral as the ‘core’ and PNIPAm as the ‘shell’, an average hydrodynamic diameter of 88.1 nm, and a low critical solution temperature (LCST) of 35.4 °C. After the high-pressure impregnation with the nanohydrogel, the bamboo strips showed excellent control effects toward common bamboo molds. Therefore, the nanohydrogel demonstrated high efficiency and it may become an ideal alternative to organic chemical anti-mold agents, thus showcasing its significant potential in the field of mold prevention for bamboo.