Abstract
The utilization of agricultural residues for value-added products has the potential to contribute to a cleaner environment. The aim of this study was to characterize microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) isolated from Teff straw (TS) in a multi-step method that included alkaline treatment, alkaline hydrogen peroxide bleaching, and catalyzed dilute acid hydrolysis. FT-IR, SEM, XRD, and TGA were used to characterize changes in the chemical and physical properties of samples. FT-IR results indicated the removal of non-cellulosic components, while the x-ray diffraction revealed a significant increase in crystallinity during pretreatment and the subsequent catalyzed acid hydrolysis. The crystallinity index (CrI) values for the prepared microcrystalline cellulose (Cr(III), Fe(III)Cl, and Fe(III) catalyzed MCC) were 73.34%, 67.58% and 66.69% respectively. Additionally, from the TGA analysis, the MCC samples showed Tonset and Tmax values of (285, 359), (273, 340), and (275, 335) °C for the Cr(III), Fe(III)Cl, and Fe(III) catalyzed MCC, respectively. The results imply that Cr(NO3)3 catalyzed dilute acid hydrolysis produces MCC with the highest crystallinity and best thermal stability. Overall, the results of this study showed that TS could be used as a new source to obtain MCC. Furthermore, the preparation method used in this study could also be a preferential method over the conventional mineral acid hydrolysis.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, Addis Ababa University, and the Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar University, for providing the necessary support and laboratory facility during conducting this study.
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Mr. Equar G. and Dr. Hundessa D. conceived the original idea. Sample preparation, experiments, and data analysis were performed by Mr. Equar G. Prof. Zebene Kiflie supervised the study. Mr. Equar G. wrote the draft manuscript. Prof. Zebene Kiflie helped shape the research, provided critical feedback, and edited the manuscript. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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Assefa, E.G., Kiflie, Z. & Demsash, H.D. Transition metal salt assisted dilute acid hydrolysis for synthesis of microcrystalline cellulose from Teff Straw. Cellulose 30, 6289–6301 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-023-05270-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-023-05270-0