Abstract
Cellulose nanocrystals (SCNCs) were synthesized from macerated fibers isolated from leaflets of date palm (<i>Phoenix dactylifera</i> L.). The resultant SCNCs were characterized by optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). H<SUB>2</SUB>SO<SUB>4</SUB>-hydrolysis helped isolation of SCNCs with high crystallinity by removing the amorphous regions of the cellulosic microfibril. The SCNCs in an acidic solution were aggregated to form bigger architectures. The SCNCs exhibited a principle sharp peak around 2θ = 21.25° related to the cellulose-I structure. The crystallinity index of the SCNCs was found to be high (85.5%). The average crystallite size of the SCNCs was 2.7 nm. The FTIR results confirmed high purity of the SCNCs conforming to cellulose I. The TGA showed that about 59.13% of the SCNCs mass was lost up to 500°C. Based on the results, the leaflets are suitable precursor for SCNCs synthesis.
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