TITLE:
A novel method for Isolating Nanocrystalline Cellulose from Eucalyptus Hardwood
AUTHORS:
Jinrong Zhang, Wenbo Zou
KEYWORDS:
Nanocrystalline Cellulose, Structure Characterization, Cytotoxicity, Zebrafish
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Analytical Sciences, Methods and Instrumentation,
Vol.9 No.3,
September
17,
2019
ABSTRACT: The objective of this work is to develop a new method for extracting nanocrystalline
cellulose (CNC) from eucalyptus. CNC was isolated from eucalyptus
using 6:4 (v/v) tetrahydrofuran/water. The chemical and crystalline
structure of the isolated CNC was characterized by zeta potential measurements,
Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and UV-Vis spectroscopies, and
X-ray powder diffractometry. The CNC morphology was characterized by
Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and particle size of CNC was determined
by the Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) method. Cytotoxicity and
zebrafish-toxicity experiments were also performed on CNC. The yield of
CNC using the new extraction method was about 41%, and the extracted
CNC particles were about 20 nm in diameter and about 40 nm long, on average.
The zeta potential of the CNC was determined to be -56 eV and the CN
particles were uniformly distributed in a suspension of 0.5 wt%. The prepared
CNC was a type I polymorph with an intact crystal structure. Toxicity results
revealed that 0.5 wt% is a safe CNC concentration, and that 2.5 mg/mL CNC
is not teratogenic or lethal to zebrafish embryos or juveniles. The new extraction
method developed in this study is environmentally friendly, and easy to
operate with relatively low cost.