"WILD MUSA SPP. PSEUDOSTEM AS A NEW SOURCE OF CELLULOSE NANOCRYSTALS "

Abstract

The objective of the present work is to investigate the potential of wild Musa spp. pseudostem as a sustainable source of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). CNCs were isolated from native cellulose by mixed acid hydrolysis under continuous stirring, followed by ultrasonication. CNCs were characterized by various techniques, including SEM, TEM, FTIR and Zeta potential analysis. The thermal stability was investigated through DSC and TGA, while the percent crystallinity was determined by XRD spectroscopy. TEM analysis showed that the isolated CNCs were mostly spherical in shape, with an average diameter of about 102.01 nm. DSC and TGA analyses indicated reduced thermal stability of the CNCs, compared to the native cellulose, which could be explained by the reduced particle size, better thermal conductivity, and active surface functional groups. The findings of the study revealed that the pseudostem of wild Musa spp. could be a potential, sustainable source of functional CNCs.