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Surface only modification of bacterial cellulose nanofibres with organic acids

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Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibres were modified only on their surface using an esterification reaction with acetic acid, hexanoic acid or dodecanoic acid. This reaction rendered the extremely hydrophilic surfaces of BC nanofibres hydrophobic. The hydrophobicity of BC increased with increasing carbon chain length of the organic acids used for the esterification reaction. Streaming (zeta-) potential measurements showed a slight shift in the isoelectric point and a decrease in ζplateau was also observed after the esterification reactions. This was attributed to the loss of acidic functional groups and increase in hydrophobicity due to esterification of BC with organic acids. A method based on hydrogen/deuterium exchange was developed to evaluate the availability of surface hydroxyl groups of neat and modified BC. The thermal degradation temperature of modified BC sheets decreased with increasing carbon chain length of the organic acids used. This is thought to be a direct result of the esterification reaction, which significantly reduces the packing efficiency of the nanofibres because of a reduction in the number of effective hydrogen bonds between them.

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Notes

  1. Since we do not know the molecular weight of BC, this value was obtained by using the molecular weight of the glucose-repeating unit in cellulose (C6H10O5)

  2. Although starting the reaction with freeze-dried BC is possible, which allows for the re-dispersion of BC in the reaction medium, its modification results in significant bulk modification of BC for which we have no explanation to date.

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Acknowledgments

The authors greatly acknowledge the funding provided by the UK Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) for KYL (EP/F032005/1), FQ (EP/F028946/1) and the Challenging Engineering Programme of the EPSRC (EP/E007538/1) for JJB.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Polymer and Composite Engineering (PaCE) Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK

    Koon-Yang Lee, Jonny J. Blaker & Alexander Bismarck

  2. Material Sciences Centre, School of Materials and the Northwest Composite Centre, University of Manchester, Grosvenor Street, Manchester, M1 7HS, UK

    Franck Quero & Stephen J. Eichhorn

  3. Centre for Timber Engineering, Napier University, Merchiston Campus, 10 Colinton Road, Edinburgh, EH10 5DT, UK

    Callum A. S. Hill

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  1. Koon-Yang Lee
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Correspondence to Alexander Bismarck.

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Lee, KY., Quero, F., Blaker, J.J. et al. Surface only modification of bacterial cellulose nanofibres with organic acids. Cellulose 18, 595–605 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-011-9525-z

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