A mechanochemical approach to manufacturing bamboo cellulose nanocrystals

Bamboo cellulose nanocrystals (BCNC) were manufactured via a mechanochemical approach with the dissolving action of phosphoric acid on cellulose. The effects of phosphoric acid concentration, reaction time, reaction temperature, and ultrasonication time on the yield of BCNC were investigated. Micromorphology and microstructure of BCNC were studied using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Results showed that BCNC were short rod-like particles with 100-200 nm in length and 15-30 nm in width, forming an interconnected network structure. X-ray diffraction results indicated that the crystalline structure of BCNC transformed from cellulose I to cellulose II, compared to cellulose pulp, with the crystallinity index declining from 66.44 to 59.62 %. The thermal properties of BCNC were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and revealed that BCNC exhibited lower thermal stability compared to cellulose pulp. This research work provides a low-cost approach and mild operating conditions to manufacturing BCNC.