Exfoliation and physicochemical characterization of novel biomass-based microcrystalline cellulose derived from Millettia pinnata leaf

Microcrystalline cellulose, which is widely used in a variety of industries, including those in the food, pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetic, and polymer composites sectors, is becoming increasingly valuable as a result of the rising need for fossil-fuel alternatives. These eco-friendly particles are capable of being utilized as filler materials in polymer composite development also. The present study deals with the extraction of cellulose particles from the Millettia pinnata plant through series of chemical treatments and their characterization. Alkaline and chemical treatment are used to remove the microcrystalline cellulose particles. The isolated microcrystalline cellulose powder is pure white color, and its physicochemical characteristics and surface morphology were further examined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Ultra violet visible spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, Scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy analysis respectively. The isolated microcrystalline cellulose has a band gap energy of 4.21 eV, crystallinity index of 87.3%, and dislocation density estimated at 0.0019. Up to 530 °C, the resultant microcrystalline cellulose particle is thermally stable; however, as the temperature rises, the microcrystalline cellulose particles become less stable. Further, the results show that derived microcrystalline cellulose particles have a better band gap and may be employed in the food packaging industry. Additionally, these types of waste plant weeds can be transformed into functional microcrystalline cellulose particles and used as filler materials in the creation of polymer matrix composites.