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Chemically imaging the interaction of acetylated nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) with a polylactic acid (PLA) polymer matrix

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Abstract

The non-covalent interaction of acetylated nanocrystalline cellulose (AC-NCC) with polylactic acid (PLA) in a composite blend has been studied at the micron scale by synchrotron Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy. Microtomed sections of AC-NCC in PLA showed strong, localized carbonyl stretching (νC=O) absorbance characteristic of the cellulose acetylation, and this was observed on the surface of larger aggregated AC-NCC particles. A shift in the νC=O IR absorption peak of AC-NCC in PLA, relative to unblended AC-NCC was observed, which is indicative of an intermolecular interaction between AC-NCC and PLA matrix. Acetylation can therefore potentially improve the performance of the composite by enabling linkages between carbonyl groups, helping to establish a good stress transfer between the fiber and the matrix. This could in turn lead to a material with high yield elastic modulus. This is the first reported chemical imaging of acetylated nanocrystalline cellulose-based composite materials using synchrotron FTIR microspectroscopy.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the Australian Synchrotron for supporting access to the IR Microspectroscopy beamline, at which part of the data presented were collected, the scientific and technical assistance of Prof Frances Separovic for providing us the facility to conduct solid state NMR at Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Mr Phil Francis and Mr Peter Rummel, of the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility at the RMIT Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility, RMIT University, Mr Frank Antolasic and Mr Mike Allan, from the School of Science and School of Engineering, respectively, RMIT University, for their continued support in completing the experimental work through an Australian Post Graduate Award.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheology and Materials Processing Group, Chemical and Environmental Engineering discipline, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia

    Tapasi Mukherjee, Nhol Kao, Rahul K. Gupta, Muthu Pannirselvam, Nurul Quazi & Sati Bhattacharya

  2. Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia

    Mark J. Tobin

  3. Methods for Material Development, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Materialien und Energie GmbH, 12489, Berlin, Germany

    Ljiljana Puskar

  4. Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Marc-Antoine Sani

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  1. Tapasi Mukherjee
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Correspondence to Tapasi Mukherjee.

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Mukherjee, T., Tobin, M.J., Puskar, L. et al. Chemically imaging the interaction of acetylated nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) with a polylactic acid (PLA) polymer matrix. Cellulose 24, 1717–1729 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-017-1217-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-017-1217-x

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