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Uşurelu CD, Frone AN, Oprică GM, Raduly MF, Ghiurea M, Neblea EI, Nicolae CA, Filip X, Teodorescu M, Panaitescu DM. Preparation and functionalization of cellulose nanofibers using a naturally occurring acid and their application in stabilizing linseed oil/water Pickering emulsions. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 262:129884. [PMID: 38336328 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Finding efficient and environmental-friendly methods to produce and chemically modify cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) remains a challenge. In this study, lactic acid (LA) treatment followed by microfluidization was employed for the isolation and functionalization of CNFs. Small amounts of HCl (0.01, 0.1, and 0.2 M) were used alongside LA to intensify cellulose hydrolysis. FTIR spectroscopy and solid-state 13C NMR confirmed the successful functionalization of CNFs with lactyl groups during isolation, while SEM, AFM, and rheological tests revealed that the addition of HCl governed the fibers' sizes and morphology. Notably, the treatment with LA and 0.2 M HCl resulted in a more efficient defibrillation, yielding smaller nanofibers sizes (62 nm) as compared to the treatment with LA or HCl alone (90 and 108 nm, respectively). The aqueous suspension of CNFs treated with LA and 0.2 M HCl showed the highest viscosity and storage modulus. LA-modified CNFs were tested as stabilizers for linseed oil/water (50/50 v/v) emulsions. Owing to the lactyl groups grafted on their surface and higher aspect ratio, CNFs produced with 0.1 and 0.2 M HCl led to emulsions with increased stability (a creaming index increase of only 3 % and 1 %, respectively, in 30 days) and smaller droplets sizes of 23.4 ± 1.2 and 35.5 ± 0.5 μm, respectively. The results showed that LA-modified CNFs are promising stabilizers for Pickering emulsions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cătălina-Diana Uşurelu
- National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania; Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, 1-7 Gh. Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Adriana Nicoleta Frone
- National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Gabriela-Mădălina Oprică
- National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania; Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, 1-7 Gh. Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Monica Florentina Raduly
- National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Marius Ghiurea
- National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Elena Iulia Neblea
- National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Cristian-Andi Nicolae
- National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Xenia Filip
- National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donath Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Mircea Teodorescu
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, 1-7 Gh. Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Denis Mihaela Panaitescu
- National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania.
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