PREPARATION OF NANOCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE IN A BUTANOL ENVIRONMENT

Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) was obtained from sulfate cellulose in the presence of a sulfuric acid catalyst in the environment of butanol isomers: butanol-1, butanol-2, isobutanol, and tert-butanol. It was found that under the given synthesis conditions (0.025 g/ml concentration of sulfate cellulose suspension, temperature of 50 °C, duration of 2 hours), the maximum NCC yield of 60% was achieved in butanol-1 at a sulfuric acid concentration of 55%. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized NCC were studied. The size and shape of NCC particles were determined, their surface charge, the degree of polymerization were evaluated, elemental and X-ray phase analysis were carried out, and IR spectra of NCC films were analyzed. It was revealed that the properties of NCC obtained in an alcoholic medium are similar to the properties of NCC obtained by sulfuric acid hydrolysis in water, with the exception of an increased content of surface sulfate groups.