Natural cellulose nanofiber extracted from cell wall of bamboo leaf and its derived multifunctional aerogel

Abstract

In the current research, high‐purity natural cellulose nanofiber (CNF) from bamboo leaf (BL) was successfully obtained via a combination of chemical pretreatment and ultrasonic technique. The as‐prepared CNF was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TGA−DTG). The as‐obtained CNF had an average diameter of 53.2 nm and a high aspect ratio of about 5600. The crystallinity of CNF was 55%, which increased by 27% compared to that of the raw BL. With further modification by methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS), the aerogel derived from the obtained CNF through a freeze‐drying process showed superior multifunctions of superabsorbent performance, thermal insulation, and sound absorption. The study might provide a new family of nature‐based nanocellulose. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:3869–3876, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers