Facile Approach for the
Dispersion of Regenerated
Cellulose in Aqueous System in the Form of Nanoparticles
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Abstract
This study reports a facile method to disperse cellulose
in deionized
water, wherein a critical condition of regenerated cellulose is discovered,
where it completely disperses up to a maximum of 5 g L<sup>β1</sup> concentration in deionized water with the help of ultrasonication.
The dispersed cellulose is characterized by TEM and DLS, the latter
among which shows 200 nm hydrodynamic radii of cellulose nanoparticles
dispersed in deionized water. FTIR analysis of dispersed cellulose
reveals that dispersed cellulose losses its crystallinity during regeneration
and dispersion step employed in this study. The dispersed cellulose
reported in this study is able to form free-standing, transparent
films, which were characterized by SEM, XRD, TGA, EDX, and FTIR spectroscopy
and show resistance against dissolution in water. Additionally, the
dispersed cellulose is able to undergo at least three times faster
enzymatic hydrolysis in comparison to pristine microcrystalline cellulose
under similar reaction conditions. The dispersed cellulose reported
here could be a better material for reinforcement, preparation of
hydrogels, and drug delivery applications under physiological environment