Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have been produced from eucalyptus wood pulp using three different methods: (i) classical sulfuric acid hydrolysis (CN-I), (ii) acid hydrolysis of cellulose previously mercerized by alkaline treatment (MCN-II), and (iii) solubilization of cellulose in sulfuric acid and subsequent recrystallization in water (RCN-II). The three types of CNCs exhibited different morphologies and crystalline structures that were characterized using complementary imaging, diffraction and spectroscopic techniques. CN-I corresponded to the type I allomorph of cellulose while MCN-II and RCN-II corresponded to cellulose II. CN-I and MCN-II CNCs were acicular particles composed of a few laterally-bound elementary crystallites. In both cases, the cellulose chains were oriented parallel to the long axis of the particle, although they were parallel in CN-I and antiparallel in MCN-II. RCN-II particles exhibited a slightly tortuous ribbon-like shape and it was shown that the chains lay perpendicular to the particle long axis and parallel to their basal plane. The reinforcing effect of these nanoparticles in a polymeric matrix was investigated.

Morphological and structural investigation of cellulose I and II nanocrystals

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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