Effects of polymorphs on dissolution of cellulose in NaOH/urea aqueous solution

Xiong Chen; Jinghuan Chen; Tingting You; Kun Wang; Feng Xu

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.02.054

Effects of polymorphs on dissolution of cellulose in NaOH/urea aqueous solution

Carbohydr Polym. 2015 Jul 10:125:85-91. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.02.054. Epub 2015 Mar 6.

Authors

Xiong Chen¹, Jinghuan Chen¹, Tingting You¹, Kun Wang², Feng Xu³

Affiliations

¹ MOE Key Laboratory of Wooden Material Science and Application, Beijing Key Laboratory of Lignocellulosic Chemistry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
² MOE Key Laboratory of Wooden Material Science and Application, Beijing Key Laboratory of Lignocellulosic Chemistry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China. Electronic address: wangkun@bjfu.edu.cn.
³ MOE Key Laboratory of Wooden Material Science and Application, Beijing Key Laboratory of Lignocellulosic Chemistry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China. Electronic address: xfx315@bjfu.edu.cn.

PMID: 25857963
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.02.054

Abstract

This study focused on the effect of cellulose crystal type on the dissolution of cellulose in aqueous NaOH/urea. Cellulose I, II, IIII, and IVI were prepared and characterized. Subsequently, the solubility of these cellulose samples in aqueous NaOH/urea was tested and the mechanism was determined by a combination of (1)H NMR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results indicated that, compared with the degree of polymerization (DP) and crystallinity index of cellulose, the cellulose crystal type had greater impact on cellulose dissolution. Specially, the solubility of the cellulose I, II, and III was progressively decreased, probably due to different hydrogen bond network and packing energy in it. The ability of cellulose I, II, III, and IV to form hydrogen bonds with sodium hydroxides was nearly the same, while gradually increased when cellulose preparations were associated with urea. Moreover, all the cellulose solutions showed good thermal stability.

Keywords: Cellulose; DP; NaOH/urea; Polymorphs.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Cellulose / chemistry*
Crystallization
Sodium Hydroxide / chemistry*
Solubility
Solutions / chemistry
Urea / chemistry*
Water / chemistry

Substances

Solutions
Water
Sodium Hydroxide
Urea
Cellulose