High quality fluorescent cellulose nanofibers from endemic rice husk: isolation and characterization

Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) with high crystallinity and purity were isolated from two endemic rice husk varieties using a hydrothermal approach followed by acid-alkali treatments and mechanical disruption. The CNFs isolated had a mean diameter of ∼ 35 nm. The TGA and DTG profiles showed good thermostability of the CNFs. The CNFs also showed a prominent photoluminescence peak at 404 nm with high quantum yield (∼ 58%). This is the first report on the native fluorescence property of nanocellulose in absence of any conjugated fluorescence molecule/dye. The CNFs further demonstrated appreciable hemocompatibility in the hemolysis test, exhibiting its potential for biomedical applications.