title: Self-assembled nanostructured cellulose prepared by a dissolution and regeneration process using phosphoric acid as a solvent.
abstract: This report describes a "green" method for preparing self-assembled nanostructured cellulose through a dissolution and regeneration process. Cold phosphoric acid is used to dissolve cellulose in order to convert crystalline cellulose into its molecular form. Self-assembly of cellulose molecules into nanostructured cellulose is achieved by using water to regenerate cellulose. By controlling the temperature and time of the phosphoric acid treatment between dissolution and regeneration, the degree of polymerization and the degree of substitution of phosphorous for the regenerated celluloses can be tuned. As a result, cellulose nanofibers or nanospheres can be obtained when the treatment temperature is set to 5 or 50°C, respectively. X-ray analysis shows that the cellulose nanofibers are amorphous and that the cellulose nanospheres are structured similarly to cellulose II with crystallinity indexes between 56 and 73%. Our method offers a "green" process for preparing nanostructured celluloses in high yields.
authors.affiliation: Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaoxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: College of Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jiaming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zongwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaoxiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Glycomics and Glycan Bioengineering Research Center (GGBRC), College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang 1, Nanjing 210095, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: twu@njau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wu
keywords: Dissolution; Nanostructured celluloses; Phosphoric acid; Regeneration; Self-assembled; Temperature