Title: Effect of ions in ionic liquids on the characteristics of cellulose from coconut husk fibres

Authors: Nur Asilah Reh; Ridzuan Zakaria; S.H.S. Zein

Addresses: School of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia ' School of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia ' School of Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK

Abstract: This paper reports the properties of cellulose nanowhiskers as new potential biomaterials. Cellulose nanowhiskers were produced from coconut husk fibres using four different anions of ionic liquids: 1-butyl-3-mehtylimidzalium chloride, 1-butyl-3-mehtylimidzalium acetate, 1-butyl-3-mehtylimidzalium bromide and 1-butyl-3-mehtylimidzalium hexafluorophosphate. The coconut husk fibre was chemically pretreated before cellulose dissolution. Morphology of the fibres under scanning electron microscopy showed that chemical treatment reduced much of surface materials on the fibres strand. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis determined that the reduced material was mainly lignin and the collected gel from the dissolution process is cellulose. Using Zetasizer Nano ZS the smallest cellulose obtained was 2.715 nm in diameter which was produced using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate. While high-resolution transmission electron microscopy determined the cellulose produced was in rod form. The best condition for cellulose dissolution for cellulose was obtained using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate IL at 60°C stirred for 90 minutes with 0.0126 mass ratio of fibres to IL.

Keywords: biomaterials; ionic liquids; ions; coconut husk fibres; cellulose characteristics; cellulose nanowhiskers; nanotechnology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2016.076734

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2016 Vol.21 No.1, pp.80 - 94

Received: 13 Feb 2015
Accepted: 23 Aug 2015

Published online: 24 May 2016 *

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