Rapid microwave-assisted fabrication of cellulose/F-substituted hydroxyapatite nanocomposites using green ionic liquids as additive

The purpose of this paper is to explore the synthesis of biomass-based composites by green method in green solution. Cellulose/F-substituted hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocomposites have been successfully fabricated by the microwave-assisted ionic liquids (ILs) method. The effects of the heating time, the ionic liquids concentration, and the NaF concentration on the products were investigated. The experimental results demonstrated that F-substituted HA particles were embedded in the cellulose matrix or dispersed on the surface of cellulose matrix. The XRD results indicated that the cellulose/CaF nanocomposites were obtained at high NaF concentration. The ionic liquids concentration played an important role in the dispersion of particles. The number of F-substituted HA in nanocomposites increased with increasing heating time. This rapid and environmentally friendly microwave-assisted ionic liquids method is provided a promising way to prepare cellulose-based nanocomposites. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.