Conformational regulation and aggregation structure evolution during cellulose regeneration process

The expansion of regenerated cellulose (RC) for various applications is of great importance, and the rearrangement of RC molecular chains and structural reconstruction play important roles in the regeneration process. Although cellulose solvation system has been extensively studied, the preparation of RC with different morphologies during the regeneration process has not received much attention. An in-depth investigation on how to establish RC morphology and structure is also challenging. In this study, the differences in the aggregation behavior of cellulose induced by different coagulation baths and the interactions between coagulation baths and RC were investigated based on cellulose morphology. The results show that the RC is affected by parameter sensitivity during reconfiguration. This process can change the cellulose molecular chain order and reconfigure the intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonding interactions of cellulose for assembly. By regulating the process, RC with rod-like, lamellar, spherical, and flower-cluster morphologies in different coagulation baths can be obtained. These results provide an important reference pathway for preparing novel RC, which can further broaden cellulosic material use.