Hydrophobic modification of cellulose isolated from Agave angustifolia fibre by graft copolymerisation using methyl methacrylate

Noor Afizah Rosli; Ishak Ahmad; Ibrahim Abdullah; Farah Hannan Anuar; Faizal Mohamed

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.03.002

Hydrophobic modification of cellulose isolated from Agave angustifolia fibre by graft copolymerisation using methyl methacrylate

Carbohydr Polym. 2015 Jul 10:125:69-75. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.03.002. Epub 2015 Mar 7.

Authors

Noor Afizah Rosli¹, Ishak Ahmad², Ibrahim Abdullah¹, Farah Hannan Anuar¹, Faizal Mohamed³

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemical Sciences and Food Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia.
² School of Chemical Sciences and Food Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: gading@ukm.edu.my.
³ School of Applied Physic, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia.

PMID: 25857961
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.03.002

Abstract

Graft copolymerisation of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto Agave angustifolia was conducted with ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) as the redox initiator. The maximum grafting efficiency was observed at CAN and MMA concentrations of 0.91 × 10(-3) and 5.63 × 10(-2)M, respectively, at 45°C for 3h reaction time. Four characteristic peaks at 2995, 1738, 1440, and 845 cm(-1), attributed to PMMA, were found in the IR spectrum of grafted cellulose. The crystallinity index dropped from 0.74 to 0.46, while the thermal stability improved upon grafting. The water contact angle increased with grafting yield, indicating increased hydrophobicity of cellulose. SEM images showed the grafted cellulose to be enlarged and rougher. The changes in the physical nature of PMMA-grafted cellulose can be attributed to the PMMA grafting in the amorphous regions of cellulose, causing it to expand at the expense of the crystalline component.

Keywords: Cellulose; Free radical; Graft copolymerization; Hydrophobic; Methyl methacrylate.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Agave / chemistry*
Cellulose / chemistry*
Cerium / chemistry
Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
Methylmethacrylate / chemistry*
Oxidation-Reduction
Phase Transition
Polymerization*

Substances

Methylmethacrylate
Cerium
Cellulose
ceric ammonium nitrate