Enhancing aqueous dispersibility of uncharged cellulose through biosurfactant adsorption

Thuy-Linh Phi (1) , Wenyang Xu (2) , Petra Pernot (3) , Niki Baccile (1) , Eero Kontturi (2)

1 LCMCP-SMiLES - Spectroscopie, Modélisation, Interfaces pour L'Environnement et la Santé
2 School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University
3 ESRF - European Synchrotron Radiation Facility [Grenoble]

Cellulose, the principal structural ingredient in plant cell wall, holds promise for a range of bio-based high-tech applications. Acid (e.g., HCl) hydrolysis of cellulose microfibrils leads to cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which are commonly suspended in water by repulsive interactions introduced with negative charges after a sulfuric acid treatment or TEMPO oxidation. Lack of surface charges prompts CNCs sedimentation. This work addresses the dispersibility of uncharged cellulose nano- and micro- particles (CNCs and microcrystalline cellulose, MCCs) in water through the physical adsorption of a glycolipid biosurfactant, composing of a single-glucose moiety and a fatty acid tail. The methodology involves the sonication-assisted incorporation of the biosurfactant directly within HCl hydrolyzed cellulose, without any surface modification (TEMPO oxidation or sulfation). Characterization of biosurfactant-stabilized cellulose reveals an enhancement in water stability of MCCs and CNCs in time at room temperature up to at least one day. These results show that adsorption of glycolipid biosurfactants are an interesting approach to disperse uncharged cellulose, potentially expanding its use in various technological domains.

Mots clés: cellulose nanocrystal; biosurfactant; colloidal stability; microcrystalline cellulose

Domaines: Matériaux

Thuy-Linh Phi, Wenyang Xu, Petra Pernot, Niki Baccile, Eero Kontturi. Enhancing aqueous dispersibility of uncharged cellulose through biosurfactant adsorption. 2024. ⟨hal-04764723⟩