Influence of Cold Plasma Treatment on Cellulose Modification with Different Oxidizing Agents

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Surface Science

Background:

• Cellulose is a renewable biopolymer with broad applications in medicine and industry.
• Existing methods for cellulose modification face challenges in simplicity, cost, and environmental impact.
• Developing sustainable and efficient cellulose modification techniques is crucial for advanced material development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel, inexpensive, and eco-friendly method for chemically modifying microcrystalline cellulose (MCC).
• To investigate the synergistic effects of submerged cold plasma treatment and oxidizing agents on MCC.
• To explore the potential of this method for generating functionalized cellulose materials, including nanofibers.

Main Methods:

• Aqueous suspension of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) treated with submerged cold plasma in the presence of oxidizing agents (H2O2, NaClO, NaIO4).
• Characterization using Fourier-transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Main Results:

• Cold plasma treatment significantly intensified the oxidizing effects of H2O2, NaClO, and NaIO4 on MCC.
• Plasma-assisted sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) treatment achieved the highest MCC oxidation level.
• The treatments resulted in varying degrees of MCC chemical degradation and altered crystalline/amorphous structures.
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed MCC fragmentation and defibrillation into nanofibers.

Conclusions:

• Submerged cold plasma treatment offers an effective and eco-friendly approach for chemical modification of MCC.
• The combined plasma-oxidizing agent method provides tunable control over cellulose functionalization and morphology.
• This technique shows promise for producing cellulose-based nanofibers for diverse applications.