НАНОКРИСТАЛИ ЦЕЛЮЛОЗИ З ЄГИПЕТСЬКОЇ БАВОВНИ (ГІЗА) ТА СУДАНСЬКОЇ БАВОВНИ (АКАЛА): ПОРІВНЯЛЬНЕ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ

Despite being traditionally associated with textiles, cotton is emerging as a versatile and high-value precursor for next-generation nanomaterials. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) derived from cotton have attracted considerable interest owing to their outstanding physicochemical properties. However, the influence of genetically and geographically distinct cotton varieties on CNC characteristics remains insufficiently explored. In this study, CNCs extracted from two strategically selected cotton sources were compared: Egyptian extra-long staple Giza, renowned for its superior fiber quality, and Sudanese medium-staple Acala, which has been largely underexplored as a CNC precursor. CNCs were isolated via sulfuric acid hydrolysis following alkaline and hypochlorite pretreatments and were characterized by FTIR, XRD, TEM, DLS, TGA, and zeta potential analysis. Both CNC samples exhibited rod-like morphologies; however, CNC-Giza showed a greater average length (about 293 nm) compared with CNC-Acala (about 196 nm). XRD analysis confirmed a higher crystallinity index for CNC-Giza (82.59 %) relative to CNC-Acala (78.20 %). TGA analysis revealed reduced thermal stability of CNCs compared to raw fibers, with negligible char residue. These findings highlight distinct structural and colloidal behaviors governed by cotton origin. To the best of our knowledge, this study presents the first comprehensive report on CNCs derived from Sudanese Acala fibers and demonstrates the significant impact of cotton genetic and geographical origin on CNC properties, providing valuable guidance for the targeted design of CNC-based materials for advanced applications.