Leveling-off degree of polymerization (LODP) is a well-known quality particularly with native cellulose structures. In acid hydrolysis, the DP of cellulose first drops rapidly, after which it settles to a value where the degradation nearly halts, namely the LODP. Curiously, this phenomenon is also behind the preparation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs): the disordered segments in native cellulose microfibrils are degraded while the crystallites stay intact, leading to discrete CNCs. Although the existence of LODP and the preparation of CNCs are intrinsically related and their connection is known to any cellulose chemist, the link is rarely addressed in scientific literature. This contribution attempts to extensively discuss the link between the two and especially place it in the framework of new preparation routes to CNCs via, for example, gaseous acid hydrolysis, TEMPO-mediated oxidation, or material pretreatment.<br/>

From leveling-off degree of polymerization to cellulose nanocrystals

251st National Meeting (2016)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.