Chemical modification of microcrystalline cellulose using sunflower oil

Abstract

Structural, thermal, physical and mechanical properties of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) combined with its biodegradability make an excellent platform for the aptness of MCC in reinforcing polymeric composites along with a commercial success in the context of green chemistry. Main drawback of above union is the incompatibility of hydrophilic MCC and hydrophobic polymers which ultimately damp the desired property improvements. With a prospective and pioneering a green approach, this study introduces a novel method to modify the surface of MCC to introduce surface hydrophobicity. State of the treatment was analyzed with acyl percentage, FTIR analysis, wettability test, SEM images and TGA thermographs. Results uphold the success of the transesterification reaction of sunflower oil ethyl esters (SFEEs) with MCC showing higher attraction to nonpolar dichloromethane with an improved thermal stability. FTIR showed the successfully grafted SFEEs onto MCC surface. Modified MCC can be used in the fabrication of polymeric substances in the process of improving its mechanical properties simultaneously under green chemistrybased approach.