All-cellulose composites fabricated by in-situ welding

Abstract

As a consequence of increasingly serious environmental problems, many researchers are highlighting biomass materials. Cellulose, the most abundant bioresource, is becoming a key consideration for alleviating environmental pollution. Characterization of cellulosic materials is fundamental to exploring their structures and elemental contents. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are frequently employed to study the structure of cellulose. Thus, it is urgent to combine traditional means with new ones. This study focused on the characterization of the all-cellulose composites (ACCs) model prepared via partially dissolving filter paper using 40% benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (BzMe3NOH) aqueous solution. Characterized by SEM, XRD, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the unique transformation from cellulose I to cellulose II of the ACCs model was explored. These characterization methods exhibited respective features, which could be universal ways to investigate ACCs.