Work

Comparative extraction and characterisation of cellulose nanostructures from sawdust and maize stalk biomass

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The conversion of agricultural waste into high-value nanoparticles presents a sustainable approach to waste management and the production of bio-based goods. This work effectively collected cellulose nanofibers and cellulose nanocrystals from agricultural leftovers using chemical methods. The resulting nanocelluloses were characterised through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to ascertain their chemical structure, crystallinity, morphology, and thermal stability. XRD revealed a crystalline cellulose I structure for cellulose nanofibers and a crystalline cellulose Iβ structure for nanocrystals. The former exhibited a crystallinity index of 74.3 %, surpassing the cellulose nanocrystals index of 66.8 %. Cellulose nanocrystals exhibited reduced thermal stability compared to cellulose nanofibers throughout the analysed TGA range. The zeta potential (ζ) values were found to be -18.2 ± 085 mV for cellulose nanofibers and - 12.80 ± 1.91 mV for cellulose nanocrystals. The kinetic activation energy for cellulose nanofibers exceeds that of cellulose nanocrystals, as determined by the Broido and Coats-Redfern models. The research illustrates the viability of agricultural waste as a plentiful, renewable feedstock for the production of cellulose nanomaterials, which possess properties appropriate for use in biocomposites, films, hydrogels, and advanced functional materials, thereby aiding the advancement of sustainable circular bioeconomies.

Source: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.147842