Cellulose nanocrystals from native and mercerized cotton

Nanocelluloses occur under various crystalline forms that are currently being selectively used for a wide variety of high performance materials. In the present study, two cellulose nanofibers (CF-I) were mercerized by alkaline treatment (CF-II) without degradation, same molar mass 560,000 g/mol was measured. Both samples acid hydrolyzed, leading to nanocrystals in native (CNC-I) and (CNC-II) forms. This study focuses on detailed characterization these nanoparticle morphologies (light neutron scattering, TEM, AFM), surface chemistry (zetametry charge), crystallinity (XRD, 13C NMR), average coupled chromatographic techniques (SEC–MALLS-RI, A4F-MALLS-RI), revealing variations packing domains. The crystal size CNC-II is reduced half compared CNC-I, with masses individual chains 41,000 22,000 CNC-I CNC-II, respectively, whereas charge density gives an example complementary as well results help decipher mechanism involved mercerization.