Electrospun cellulose acetate nano and micro fibers reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals

VALLEJOS, M.E.; PERESIN, M.S.; ROJAS, O.J.

Anaheim, California - Estados Unidos

Congreso; 241st ACS National Meeting & Exposition; 2011

American Chemical Society (ACS)

Cellulose acetate (CA) is one of the most widely used cellulose derivative in the production of semipermeable membranes. This is due to its low water absorption and thermal stability. For such applications, CA can be easily electrospun with suitable nonpolar solvents. In contrast, few solvents are able to dissolve cellulose for processing by electrospinning. Therefore, the use of cellulose acetate to produce cellulose is a simple alternative given the fact that the acetyl groups in cellulose acetate can be readily removed via alkaline deacetylation. The use of cellulose nanocrystals (CNs) as dispersed phase in CA fibers provides better strength and thermal stability, chemical resistance and biodegradability. Such effects make these systems suitable for use in a broader spectrum of applications, including affinity membranes, bio-/chemical-sensors and reinforced nanocomposites, among others. The aim of this work was to obtain cellulose acetate nano- and micro-fibers reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals by using the electrospinning technique. The processing conditions for electrospinning were established to ensure good fiber formation and the effect of deacetylation on the morphology and thermal behavior was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In this presentation, chemical features, thermal properties, hydrophobic character and structure of the obtained continuous CA and cellulose fiber membranes will be discussed.