Modified Microcrystalline Cellulose Research Articles

Development of a Polyethylene Breathable Packaging Film with Modified Microcrystalline Cellulose for Fresh Products

In this study, a material based on polyethylene (PE) and microcrystalline cellulose (MC) was developed as a breathable packaging film. Surface functionalization of MC with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) has been shown to be an efficient option to tailor their properties and increase opportunities for the application of MC on the reinforcement of polymers such as polyethylene (PE). The functionalization of MC with the mentioned silane derivative was achieved using a green method and later used in the development of composites with PE in three percentages (1, 3, and 5%). All the materials were prepared by melt blending and characterized in terms of structural properties (ATR-FTIR and FTIR in transmittance mode, EDX, and SEM), thermal properties (DSC and TGA), thermomechanical properties (DMA), contact angle measurements and permeability to water vapor. The materials demonstrated the potential to be used as breathable film packaging for fresh products.

Preparation of flame retardant and antibacterial polyacrylonitrile composites based on modified microcrystalline cellulose loaded silver nanoparticles

To improve the fire safety of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and expand its application area, flame retardant and antibacterial PAN composite was prepared by a simple and environmentally friendly method. First, AgNO3 and NaBH4 solutions were added to the microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) aqueous suspension to prepare MCC loaded Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) (MCC/Ag) by in situ reduction. Then, MCC/Ag was mixed in PAN solution to prepare MCC/Ag/PAN composite, which was then phosphorylated by phytic acid (PA) to obtain flame retardant MCC/Ag/PAN composite (FR-MCC/Ag/PAN). FR-MCC/Ag/PAN could achieve self-extinguishing with limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 36.8 %. The thermogravimetric results showed that phosphorus-containing acids accelerated the char-forming ability of FR-MCC/Ag/PAN, and the final char residue was up to 29.76 % in air atmosphere. Thermogravimetric coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that FR-MCC/Ag/PAN formed an expanded and dense char layer after combustion, suppressing the release of low molecular toxic gases. Moreover, FR-MCC/Ag/PAN showed favorable inhibition of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). This work proposed a novel method for developing flame retardant and antibacterial PAN material, which broadened the application field of polyacrylonitrile.

Improved lipase performance by covalent immobilization of Candida antarctica lipase B on amino acid modified microcrystalline cellulose as green renewable support

Development of immobilized lipase with excellent catalytic performance and low cost is the major challenge for large-scale industrial applications. In this study, green renewable microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) that was hydrophobically modified with D-alanine (Ala) or L-lysine (Lys) was used for immobilizing Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB). The improved catalytic properties were investigated by experimental and computational methods. CALB immobilized on MCC-Ala with higher hydrophobicity showed better catalytic activity than CALB@MCC-Lys because the increased flexibility of the lid region of CALB@MCC-Ala favored the formation of open conformation. Additionally, the low root mean square deviation and the high β-sheet and α-helix contents of CALB@MCC-Ala indicated that the structure became more stable, leading to a significantly enhanced stability (54.80% and 90.90% relative activity at 70 °C and pH 9.0, respectively) and good reusability (48.92% activity after 5 cycles). This study provides a promising avenue to develop immobilized lipase with high catalytic properties for industry applications.

Properties and flame retardancy of polylactide composites incorporating tricresyl phosphate and modified microcrystalline cellulose from oil palm empty fruit bunch waste

One of the major environmental issues that have an impact on humans, animals, and their surroundings is plastic garbage. The use of biodegradable polymers in place of traditional plastics is one of the best solutions to this significant issue. The bio-circular-green (BCG) economic model is supported by the use of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as a bio-filler for polylactide (PLA) composites, which may also help to address the issue of improper plastic waste management. This study explores the chemical modification of MCC derived from oil palm empty fruit bunch waste (OPMC). Maleic anhydride-modified OPMC (MAMC) is successfully synthesized by a solvent-free and low temperature heating procedure. MAMC and tricresyl phosphate (TCP) were used as additives in PLA composites which were processed by melt extrusion and compression molding. Characterization studies confirmed the successful modification of MAMC and indicated that TCP played a crucial role as an effective plasticizer and flame retardant for PLA. All PLA/TCP composites showed significantly improved toughness and delayed ignition. The appropriate TCP level was 10 phr. The incorporation of TCP and MAMC resulted in a synergistic enhancement of impact strength and maintained excellent flame inhibition. Moreover, the thermal stability of the PLA composites increased with increments of MAMC.

Development of polylactic acid based antimicrobial food packaging films with N-halamine modified microcrystalline cellulose

Bio-based “green” films with superior antimicrobial activity were developed from polylactic acid (PLA) and cyclic N-halamine 1-chloro-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-4-imidazolidinone (MC) grafted microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) fibers (herein referred to as g-MCC). The structure of g-MCC was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Results indicated N-halamine MC was successfully grafted onto MCC fibers, with a grafting percentage of 10.24 %. The grafting improved compatibility between g-MCC and PLA, leading to an excellent dispersion of g-MCC in the film matrix, and a superior transparency of the g-MCC/PLA compared to that of the MCC/PLA films. Additionally, the enhanced compatibility the g-MCC/PLA films produced better mechanical properties including mechanical strength, elongation at break and initial modulus than those of both MCC/PLA and MC/PLA composites. With N-halamine, g-MCC/PLA completely inactivated all the inoculated Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus within 5 and 30 min of contact, respectively. More importantly, the migration test showed that the oxidative chlorine of g-MCC/PLA was highly stable than that of MC/PLA films, providing a long-term antimicrobial activity. Finally, preservation test conducted on fresh bread slices further demonstrated its promising applications in the food industry.

Water-Soluble Cellulose As a New Class of Green CH4 Hydrate Inhibitors: Insights from Experiments and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Cellulose is a cheap, ecofriendly, and abundant organic polymer. In this study, physically or chemically modified microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was evaluated as a kinetic hydrate inhibitor (KHI) for CH4 hydrates using experimental and computational methods. To overcome the strong hydrophobicity of MCC, high-pressure homogenized cellulose (HPHC) was prepared by dispersing MCC homogeneously in water, and surface-modified ionic cellulose (SMIC) was obtained by attaching an ionic liquid (1,3-dimethylimidazolium methylphosphite, [DMIM][MP]) to the surface of MCC. The onset temperature and gas uptake of CH4 hydrates were experimentally measured to examine the inhibition performance of HPHC and SMIC. Experimental results demonstrated that both HPHC and SMIC functioned as potential KHIs and SMIC had better inhibition capability than HPHC. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to reveal the inhibition mechanisms of the KHIs during cage formation and hydrate growth. It was found that the different inhibition effects of the KHIs were caused by a combination of multiple inhibition mechanisms, including both their interactions with water and cage adsorption. Given the improved hydrophilicity and inhibition performance through physical or chemical modification of the naturally derived organic compound, cellulose holds great potential as a novel and green KHI.

Amitriptyline sequestration by unmodified and modified microcrystalline cellulose: a potential treatment for drug overdosing

Amitriptyline sequestration by unmodified and modified microcrystalline cellulose: a potential treatment for drug overdosing

Effect of Cationic Modified Microcrystalline Cellulose on the Emulsifying Properties and Water/Oil Interface Behavior of Soybean Protein Isolate.

Stabilizing emulsion using complex biopolymers is a common strategy. It would be very interesting to characterize the impact of charge density on the emulsifying properties of complex polyelectrolytes carrying opposite charges. In this study, cationic modified microcrystalline celluloses (CMCC) of different charge densities were prepared and mixed with soy protein isolate (SPI) for emulsion applications. CMCC-1 to 3 with various cationic charge values were successfully prepared as characterized by zeta-potential and FTIR. The positive charge density’s effects on solubility, thermogravimetric properties, and rheological properties were studied. Complexes of SPI-CMCC with various zeta-potential values were then obtained and used to stabilize soybean oil emulsions. The results show that emulsions stabilized by complexes of SPI and CMCC-3 at a ratio of 1:3 had the best emulsification ability and stability. However, the interfacial tension-reducing ability of complexes decreased continuously with increasing cationic charge value, while the rheological results show that complexes of SPI-CMCC-3 at a ratio of 1:3 formed a stronger viscoelastic network than other complexes. Our results indicate that this SPI-CMCC complex formula showed excellent emulsification performance, which could be adjusted and promoted by changing the charge density. This complex formula is promising for fabrication of emulsion-based food and cosmetic products.

A REVIEW ON COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES USED TO ENHANCE DISSOLUTION OF VALSARTAN AND TELMISARTAN ORAL SOLID DOSAGE FORM

Telmisartan and Valsartan are strong angiotensin-II type 1 receptor inhibitor, applied in the care of elevated blood pressure. Telmisartan and also Valsartan comes under Class II category of BCS classification. Valsartan and Telmisartan both are highly pH dependent and poor soluble drug which result in improper absorption and low bioavailability (43% and 23% respectively). In order to control the poor solubility as well as bioavailability of both Telmisartan and Valsartan, different formulation techniques are compared on the basis of dissolution. In this review article, solid dispersion by kneading method, pelletization by pan coating, modified microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) pellets and solid self-micro-emulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) formulation techniques are discussed for Telmisartan. Whereas, in case of Valsartan, liquisolid compact technique, fast disintegrating tablets (FDT), and formulation optimized by 23 factorial designs are evaluated. To sum up, the analogy of Telmisartan formulations demonstrates that solid dispersion (TS5) and fast dissolving pellet formulation (TP3), both the techniques showed better drug release profile than MCC pellet and SMEDDS techniques. However, when it comes to dissolution rate, fast dissolving pellet formulation reflects notably best results among all. Furthermore, Valsartan formulation techniques evaluation leads us to conclude that liquisolid method showed good release profile as compare to conventional products but the method incorporates some complex requirements of load factor calculation and saturation solubility studies. In addition to that, Valsartan formulation optimized by factorial design as well as fast dissolving tablet (FDT) formulation signifies more conventional approach as well as good drug release profile.

Development of PVA-Psyllium Husk Meshes via Emulsion Electrospinning: Preparation, Characterization, and Antibacterial Activity.

In this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and psyllium husk (PSH)/D-limonene electrospun meshes were produced by emulsion electrospinning for use as substrates to prevent the growth of bacteria. D-limonene and modified microcrystalline cellulose (mMCC) were preferred as antibacterial agents. SEM micrographs showed that PVA–PSH electrospun mesh with a 4% amount of D-limonene has the best average fiber distribution with 298.38 ± 62.8 nm. Moreover, the fiber morphology disrupts with the addition of 6% D-limonene. FT-IR spectroscopy was used to analyze the chemical structure between matrix–antibacterial agents (mMCC and D-limonene). Although there were some partial physical interactions in the FT-IR spectrum, no chemical reactions were seen between the matrixes and the antibacterial agents. The thermal properties of the meshes were determined using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The thermal stability of the samples increased with the addition of mMCC. Further, the PVA–PSH–mMCC mesh had the highest value of contact angle (81° ± 4.05). The antibacterial activity of functional meshes against Gram (−) (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram (+) bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) was specified based on a zone inhibition test. PPMD6 meshes had the highest antibacterial results with 21 mm, 16 mm, and 15 mm against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. While increasing the amount of D-limonene enhanced the antibacterial activity, it significantly decreased the amount of release in cases of excess D-limonene amount. Due to good fiber morphology, the highest D-limonene release value (83.1%) was observed in PPMD4 functional meshes. The developed functional meshes can be utilized as wound dressing material based on our data.

Removal of stable and radio isotopes from wastewater by using modified microcrystalline cellulose based on Taguchi L16

Water pollution connected with rapid industrial growth is one of the most challenging issues worldwide. The disposal of heavy metals turns out to be complex and expensive, so several researchers have tried to remove these pollutants based on abundantly available, inexpensive materials, such as agsricultural waste to be used as sorbents; however, most of these materials have not achieved sufficient removal rates. Consequently, research has been conducted for economic, environmentally benign, and efficient byproduct materials. Among the most auspicious techniques was the extraction of microcrystalline cellulose, chemically modified by a low-molecular-weight organic acid such as citric acid (McC-CA); such materials are powerful chelators for the removal of heavy metals from water bodies. The Taguchi robust design approach was used in present study to optimize the factors determing the efficieny of heavy metal removal, namely ion concentration, pH-value, adsorbent dosage, and contact time, through an orthogonal array (OA) L16 = 44 in batch absorbtion experiments. The results illustrated the optimum combination for Co (II) and Cs (I) adsorption was pH (5–6), C (1–50 mg L−1), D (3–4 g L−1), T (60–100 min) according to contour plots and verification tests, Where the percent removal reached 74 and 88% for cobalt and cesium respectively when using this optimal combination. Furthermore, when this combination was applied to 60Co and 137Cs the percent removal ranged from 96.01 to 90.28% for 60Co, and 100 to 94.25% for 137Cs. Therefore, it can be inferred that the use of McC-CA constitutes an effective tool to remove cobalt and cesium ions from waterbodies.

Preparation and characterization of soy protein-based adhesive modified by microcrystalline cellulose

With the desire of promoting the further development of wood production, Soy protein-based adhesives (SPs) have been modified to overcome the defect of poor water resistance in the existing reports. Herein, the microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was grafted by 3-Glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH560) to obtain a modified microcrystalline cellulose (MMCC). The soybean flour was mixed with ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether/diethylenetriamine (EGDE/DETA) and the MMCC to prepare the modified soy protein-based adhesive. The results showed that the adhesive with multiple additives had a better performance due to the interpenetrating network structure of soy protein molecules. The contact angle (CA) increased from 33.97° to 58.88°. The wet bonding strength increased to 0.99 MPa. Consequently, the objective of this study is to provide a new strategy for manufacturing a new environmental adhesive.

Effect of N,N-Dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride modified microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) on the processing behaviour and properties of celluloserubber (NBR and EPDM) composites

Effect of N,N-Dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride modified microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) on the processing behaviour and properties of celluloserubber (NBR and EPDM) composites

Amitriptyline Sequestration by Unmodified and Modified Microcrystalline Cellulose: A Potential Treatment for Drug Overdosing

Amitriptyline Sequestration by Unmodified and Modified Microcrystalline Cellulose: A Potential Treatment for Drug Overdosing

Sustainable Fenton-like degradation of methylene blue over MnO2-loaded poly(amidoxime-hydroxamic acid) cellulose microrods

Catalysts based on cellulose/metal oxide hybrids are considered effective for the remediation of dye wastewater. However, the difficult recovery of commonly used nanocellulose and the weak binding strength of metal oxide nanoparticles restrict their wide application. Herein, MnO2 nanoparticle-loaded poly(amidoxime-hydroxamic acid) modified microcrystalline cellulose (pAHA-MCC@MnO2) catalysts were synthesized via an oximation reaction followed by in-situ growth. Morphology, crystallinity and textural characteristics of pAHA-MCC before and after deposition of MnO2 nanoparticles were characterized by SEM, EDS, FTIR, XRD and XPS analyses. The main results indicated the formation of hierarchical porous structured cellulose microrods with uniform distribution of hydrangea flower-like MnO2 nanoparticles. In the presence of H2O2, pAHA-MCC@MnO2 displayed good catalytic performance toward the degradation of methylene blue (MB) over a wide pH range of 3–10, due to the advanced Fenton-like catalysis. Reaction conditions, such as amount of H2O2 used, the initial MB concentration and catalyst dosage were also investigated. The optimized system showed 97.6% removal of MB in 25 min for 100 mg/L MB solution, with very little decrease in performance after 5 cycles. This work provides a facile and promising strategy for the development of biodegradable and sustainable architectures capable of efficiently degrading dye wastewater.

Application of Pickering emulsions in 3D printing of personalized nutrition. Part I: Development of reduced-fat printable casein-based ink

The application of surface-active biopolymers supports opportunities and novel prospects to generate a well-defined printable ink for 3D printing. In this regard, an ideal ink must show pseudoplastic, viscoelastic, and thixotropic characters with a recoverable structure so as to be effectively printed with desired printability. Here, microcrystalline cellulose was hydrophobically modified through a facile and sustainable acetylation method. Then, the functionalized microcrystalline cellulose was incorporated into a casein-based emulsion for being replaced to its partial fat (15–60% fat reduced). The significant effect of micro-biosurfactant on the rheological properties of casein-based emulsion enhanced its shear-thinning, thixotropic, and viscoelastic features. The use of higher ratios of micro-biosurfactant produced an emulsion with greater elastic modulus, smaller droplet sizes, improved stability to the permanent deformation, and increased the nonlinear behavior of the system under large amplitude oscillatory shear stress. The results of the temperature ramp also confirmed the thermo-reversible property of the ink, which was noticeably dependent on the ratios of micro-biosurfactant. The results of this study provided fundamental knowledge about emulsion stability in terms of the contribution of the hydrophobically modified microcrystalline cellulose to interface stability and in promoting resistance to shear stress and deformation. These results allow one to gain a profound understanding of the printability and extrudability of these classes of biomaterials.

Effect of silane modified microcrystalline cellulose on the curing kinetics, thermo-mechanical properties and thermal degradation of benzoxazine resin

In the frame of developing sustainable, eco-friendly and high performance materials, microcrystalline cellulose modified through silane coupling agent (MCC Si) is used as a reinforcing agent of benzoxazine resin to manufacture composites at different loadings of 5, 10, 15, 20 wt%. The structural, morphological and crystallinity characterizations of the modified MCC were initially performed to scrutinize the changes and confirm the modification. Then, an investigation on the crosslinking process of the prepared composites was held through curing kinetic study employing isoconversional methods. The kinetic data revealed a decrease in the average values of activation energy and the pre-exponential factor, particularly for composite supplemented with 10% MCC Si, whereas all samples disclosed a tendency of an autocatalytic curing mechanism. Furthermore, the study of the dynamic mechanical properties and degradation features of the cured specimens, respectively, indicated a superior stiffness attributable to the good interaction between BA-a and MCC Si, and enhanced thermal stability for the composites compared to pristine resin.

Fabrication and characterization of modified microcrystalline cellulose membrane as proton exchange membrane for direct methanol fuel cell

In this study, we report fabrication, and characterization of biopolymer-based membrane composite using microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) modified with phosphotungstic acid (PTA) and imidazole. The cellulose membrane was prepared by phase inversion method. The physicochemical properties of composite membranes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The regenerated cellulose membrane water uptake ability, and methanol uptake, derived from absorption of aqueous electrolytic solutions, also evaluated in this study to assess the successful applicability of the proposed membranes as PEM electrolytes for direct methanol fuel cell devices. XRD analysis shown that modification of the regenerated cellulose membrane had no effect on phase on cellulose membrane and cellulose membrane still retain the cellulose II crystalline structure which also confirmed with IR spectra of modified membrane which glycosidic and CH2 vibration peak around 900 and 1420 cm−1 that indicate intramolecular hydrogen bond did not alter after addition of dopant. Results indicate that modification of MCC with acid and base dopant could improve water management of regenerated membrane while also lessen methanol permeability inside membrane. Thus, modified regenerated cellulose membrane has high potential as alternative proton exchange membrane for direct methanol fuel cell.

Study on microcrystalline cellulose/chitosan blend foam gel material

Abstract In the present contribution, an environmental-friendly and cost-effective adsorbent was reported for soil treatment and desertification control. A novel foam gel material was synthesized here by the physical foaming in the absence of catalyst. By adopting modified microcrystalline cellulose and chitosan as raw materials and sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) as foaming agent, a microcrystalline cellulose/chitosan blend foam gel was synthesized. It is expected to replace polymers derived from petroleum for agricultural applications. In addition, a systematical study was conducted on the adsorbability, water holding capacity and re-expansion performance of foam gel in deionized water and brine under different SDS concentrations (2%–5%) as well as adsorption time. To be specific, the adsorption capacity of foam gel was up to 105g/g in distilled water and 54g/g in brine, indicating a high water absorption performance. As revealed from the results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, both the amino group of chitosan and the aldehyde group modified by cellulose were involved. According to the results of Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, the foam gel was found to exhibit an interconnected pore network with uniform pore space. As suggested by Bet analysis, the macroporous structure was formed in the sample, and the pore size ranged from 0 to 170nm. The mentioned findings demonstrated that the foam gel material of this study refers to a potential environmental absorbent to improve soil and desert environments. It can act as a powerful alternative to conventional petroleum derived polymers.

Modification of pineapple leaf fibers with aminosilanes as adsorbents for H2S removal

Pineapple leaves were used as a natural fiber source to prepare various modified microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) samples as sorbents for H2S sorption. Pineapple leaf fibers were first extracted from pineapple leaves, followed by hydrolyzing to produce MCC before various modifications using primary amine (3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, APS), secondary amine (N-methyl-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, MAPS), or tertiary amine (N,N-dimethyl-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, DAPS). The characterization results proved that all the aminosilane groups were successfully grafted onto the MCC. In addition, the thermal stability and the porosity of the modified sorbents were enhanced relative to those of unmodified MCC. The H2S sorption studies of MCC modified with APS, MAPS, and DAPS at 0, 3, or 5%w/w showed that MCC-MAPS had better H2S sorption performance than MCC-APS and MCC-DAPS, respectively, when comparing the H2S sorption performance at the same loading level. The optimum H2S sorption performance of each aminosilane group was achieved from MCC-APS at 5%, MCC-MAPS at 3%, and MCC-DAPS at 5%. An additional study of H2S sorption of these three sorbents in the presence of CO2 showed that MCC-DAPS at 5% was the best sorbent for selective H2S removal. Our results indicated that MCC modified with the aminosilane groups, especially MAPS, were promising materials for H2S sorption, with potential application in gas separation.