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Surface modification of cellulose nanocrystals

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Abstract

In order to improve the dispersibility of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) particles, three different grafted reactions of acetylation, hydroxyethylation and hydroxypropylation were introduced to modify the CNC surface. The main advantages of these methods were the simple and easily controlled reaction conditions, and the dispersibility of the resulting products was distinctly improved. The properties of the modified CNC were characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). The results indicated that after desiccation, the modification products could be dispersed again in the proper solvents by ultrasonic treatments, and the diameter of their particles had no obvious changes. However, their thermal degradation behaviors were quite different. The initial decomposition temperature of the modified products via hydroxyethylation or hydroxypropylation was lower than that of modified products via acetylation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China

    Wang Neng & Cheng Rongshi

  2. Key Laboratory of Cellulose and Lignocellulosics Chemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China

    Ding Enyong

  3. Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Materials Science, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Cheng Rongshi

Authors
  1. Wang Neng
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  2. Ding Enyong
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  3. Cheng Rongshi
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Correspondence to Cheng Rongshi.

Additional information

Translated from Acta Polymerica Sinica, 2006, (8): 982–987 [译自: 高分子学报]

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Wang, N., Ding, E. & Cheng, R. Surface modification of cellulose nanocrystals. Front. Chem. Eng. China 1, 228–232 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-007-0041-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-007-0041-5

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