Highly Dispersible Cellulose Nanofibrils Produced via Mechanical Pretreatment and TEMPO-mediated Oxidation

Abstract

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) can prepare flexible nanomaterials with its large aspect ratio. Due to the supramolecular, cellulose fibers are difficultly dissociated to CNFs. In order to destroy this supramolecular structure and prepare high dispersible CNFs, the mechanical and chemical treatments are required. This study examined the effects of mechanical pretreatment and TEMPO-oxidation on the properties of CNFs preparing from bleached softwood kraft pulp. The total yield of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCNFs) reached 85 %. The morphology, carboxyl group content, crystallinity, surface charge, self-assembling properties, and optical transmittance of the corresponding TOCNFs suspension were investigated. The transmittance of TOCNFs suspension was 95.1 % at 600 nm wavelength and its corresponding ζ- potential was -61.3 mV, indicated that the strong electrostatic repulsion between TOCNFs was the most significant factor on the highly transparent TOCNFs suspension in water. Furthermore, the mostly negative charged TOCNFs obtained by freeze drying assembled into the finest and most uniform networked structure. Such highly transparent, functionalized, selfassembled cellulose nanofibrils are favorable in transparent films, flexible displays and electrochemistry materials.