Investigation of the tanning mechanism of mycelial leather alternative with genipin and its environmental impact evaluation

Abstract

Mycelium has emerged as a promising bio-based material for the development of sustainable leather alternatives, driven by the increasing demand for eco-friendly materials. This work explores the crosslinking mechanism of mycelial leather alternatives treated with genipin tanning, focusing on the interactions between genipin and mycelium fibers. Genipin tanning agent interacts with nitrogen-containing groups and carboxyl groups in mycelial polysaccharides, inducing conformational changes in glycosides and increasing the thermal and structural stability of the mycelial leather alternative. Moreover, the synergistic effect of genipin tanning and glycerol fatliquoring resulted in a more organized and compact structure, with mycelial fibers tightly interwoven. The mycelial leather alternative demonstrated a tensile strength of 6.1 MPa, an elongation at break of 73.1%, as well as excellent thermal stability. The observed improved physical properties were attributed to the crosslinking of genipin with mycelial fibers and hydrogen bond formation between glycerol molecules and the hydroxyl groups on the fibers. Furthermore, the mycelial leather alternative demonstrated strong environmental performance, with more than 50% biodegradation in soil within 50 days. Its incineration produces fewer waste gases compared with traditional sheep leather. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using tanning methods to treat mycelial materials, providing valuable insights for advancing the development of leather alternatives.

Keywords

Mycelial leather alternative / Genipin tanning / Biobased materials / Polysaccharide / Biodegradation

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Funding

Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(ZR2021QB135)

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

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