Comparative study of plant and bacterial cellulose pellicles regenerated from dissolved states

Bacterial cellulose (BC), representing the highly purified form of cellulose, possesses better nanofibrous morphology and superior mechanical properties than plant cellulose (PC). However, the regeneration process, which produces intermediate structures, significantly alters the original properties of native cellulose and result in varied structural and physico-mechanical features. Therefore, it is important to estimate the degree of variations in the structures and properties of both PC and BC during their regeneration. Herein, we conducted a detailed comparative study by dissolving BC and PC in N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO) and synthesizing their regenerated gels, namely regenerated bacterial cellulose (RBC) and regenerated plant cellulose (RPC), respectively. The structural features of BC, PC, RBC, and RPC were comparatively evaluated via field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, porosity analyses, as well as analyzed their mechanical, thermal, and liquid-holding capabilities. The results showed inferior mechanical, thermal, and crystalline features of RBC and RPC to their respective counterparts. However, RBC showed better porosity, water absorption capability, and water retention time than RPC. The overall mechanical, thermal, and physiological features of RBC were better than those of RPC. These findings may facilitate the use of RBC in composite synthesis for various applications.