Preparation and characterization of high-purity cellulose nanocrystals films by the composite enzymolysis of cotton pulp fibers

Abstract

Using cotton pulp fibers as raw material, through composite enzymolysis and purification, two different forms of high-purity cellulose nanocrystals were obtained, namely spherical CNCs (SCNCs) and rod-like CNCs (RCNCs). Vacuum filtration was used to obtain pure SCNCs film and pure RCNCs film. The films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction and tested for their mechanical properties. The films were shown to have good light transmittance and softness, and the structures were unchanged compared with the cellulose raw materials. This article mainly introduces the preparation process of high-purity cellulose nanocrystals films and provides data support for subsequent research.