Isolation of cellulose nanocrystals from different waste bio-mass collating their liquid crystal ordering with morphological exploration.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have been recognized as one of the most promising nanofillers in modern science and technology owing to their outstanding characteristics of renewability, biodegradability, excellent mechanical strength, and liquid crystalline behavior. Interestingly, these properties are dependent on their genetic and also on the isolation process. Therefore, this research aimed to unveil how the biological variations of cellulose can influence on the physical properties of the extracted CNCs. A standard optimized extraction process was adopted to isolate the CNCs from different sources. Extracted CNCs were compared through characterization tools, including Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetry Analysis (TGA), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and Polarized Optical Microscopy (POM). Different self-assembly patterns were observed for different CNCs, owing to their biological variations. The resultant nanocrystals displayed variable morphologies such as spherical, rod, and needle shape. The hydrodynamic diameter, crystallinity index, decomposition temperature, liquid crystallinity, and storage modulus were varied. Nanocrystals isolated from non-wood feedstock have shown a higher degree of polymerization of 108.2 and a high Crystllinity Index (C·I.) of 55.1%. The rod-like morphology with the liquid crystalline pattern was obtained at 3 wt% concentration for SCNC.