Optimization of cellulose nanocrystal length and surface charge density through phosphoric acid hydrolysis

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are emerging nanomaterials with a large range of potential applications. CNCs are typically produced through acid hydrolysis with sulfuric acid; however, phosphoric acid has the advantage of generating CNCs with higher thermal stability. This paper presents a design of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences physical, and engineering sciences, 2018-02, Vol.376 (2112), p.20170041-20170041
Main Authors: Vanderfleet, Oriana M., Osorio, Daniel A., Cranston, Emily D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acid Hydrolysis
Atomic Force Microscopy
Cellulose
Charge density
Cotton
Degree of crystallinity
Design Of Experiments
Design optimization
Hydrolysis
Nanocellulose
Nanocrystals
Nanomaterials
Nanotechnology
Phosphate Content
Phosphoric acid
Polydispersity
Regression analysis
Statistical analysis
Sulfuric acid
Surface charge
Thermal Properties
Thermal stability
Zeta potential
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are emerging nanomaterials with a large range of potential applications. CNCs are typically produced through acid hydrolysis with sulfuric acid; however, phosphoric acid has the advantage of generating CNCs with higher thermal stability. This paper presents a design of experiments approach to optimize the hydrolysis of CNCs from cotton with phosphoric acid. Hydrolysis time, temperature and acid concentration were varied across nine experiments and a linear least-squares regression analysis was applied to understand the effects of these parameters on CNC properties. In all but one case, rod-shaped nanoparticles with a high degree of crystallinity and thermal stability were produced. A statistical model was generated to predict CNC length, and trends in phosphate content and zeta potential were elucidated. The CNC length could be tuned over a relatively large range (238-475 nm) and the polydispersity could be narrowed most effectively by increasing the hydrolysis temperature and acid concentration. The CNC phosphate content was most affected by hydrolysis temperature and time; however, the charge density and colloidal stability were considered low compared with sulfuric acid hydrolysed CNCs. This study provides insight into weak acid hydrolysis and proposes 'design rules' for CNCs with improved size uniformity and charge density. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'New horizons for cellulose nanotechnology'.
ISSN:1364-503X
1471-2962
DOI:10.1098/rsta.2017.0041