Hevea brasiliensis mediated synthesis of nanocellulose: Effect of preparation methods on morphology and properties

In present research, Hevea brasiliensis (Rubber Wood) converted into cellulose by pre-treatment with NaOH (5%) and NaClO₂ (5%). In addition, the cellulose was converted to nanocellulose (NC) using ionic liquid, acid hydrolysis and TEMPO oxidation accompanied by ultra-sonication. The prepared nanocellulose characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Thermal properties have been studied using thermogravimetric and differential thermal Analysis (TGA/DTA). FT-IR results clearly suggested that the synthetic approaches employed did not alter the principle chemical structure of rubber wood cellulose. SEM and AFM monographs reveal that synthetic approaches affect the morphology/surface topology of prepared nanocellulose. Among the three kinds of NC, NC by TEMPO approach had the largest aspect ratio and superior thermal stability.