Homogeneous isolation of nanocelluloses by controlling the shearing force and pressure in microenvironment.

Abstract

Nanocelluloses were successfully isolated from sugarcane bagasse cellulose using dynamic high pressure microfluidization (DHPM), which achieved homogeneous dispersion by regulating shear forces and pressure within a microenvironment. Compared with conventional high pressure homogenization, DHPM required fewer processing cycles at elevated pressure. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that entangled cellulose network structures were effectively dispersed, with intermolecular hydrogen bonds disrupted. Gel permeation chromatography, solid-state 13C NMR, and FT-IR analyses indicated that intramolecular hydrogen bonds remained intact. The resulting nanocelluloses exhibited reduced particle size, favorable dispersion characteristics, and lower thermal stability, suggesting potential utility in electronics, electrochemistry, biomedical applications, and the packaging and printing industries.

Mechanism

DHPM-generated shear forces and elevated pressure within a microenvironment selectively disrupt intermolecular hydrogen bonds in cellulose networks while preserving intramolecular hydrogen bonds, enabling uniform nanocellulose dispersion.