Synthesis and characterisation of micro-fibrillated cellulose from jute

The demand for renewable materials in tissue engineering domains has increased in recent years among which cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer, has gained immense interest due to its unique features such as, renewability, mechanical properties, and its structural dimensions. Cellulosic fibres in both micro-and nano-scale can be used as reinforcement biomaterials owing to its characteristic size, structure, and high aspect ratio imparting excellent mechanical properties for different biomedical applications. In this study, we hypothesise the synthesis of micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC) from the Chorchorus capsularis variant of jute. MFC was synthesised by a series of alkali treatment, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis. The obtained MFC was characterised by optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry - Thermogravimetric Analysis (DSC-TGA), phytochemical tests, dispersion studies and in vitro cytotoxicity. The synthesised MFC exhibits outstanding properties for various biomedical applications.