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The dissolution of cellulose in NaOH-based aqueous system by two-step process

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Abstract

A new dissolution method, a two-step process, for cellulose in NaOH/urea aqueous system was investigated with 13C NMR, wide X-ray diffraction (WXRD), and solubility test. The two steps were as follows: (1) formation and swelling of a cellulose–NaOH complex and (2) dissolution of the cellulose–NaOH complex in aqueous urea solution. The dissolution mechanism could be described as strong interaction between cellulose and NaOH occurring in the aqueous system to disrupt the chain packing of original cellulose through the formation of new hydrogen bonds between cellulose and NaOH hydrates, and surrounding the cellulose–NaOH complex with urea hydrates to reduce the aggregation of the cellulose molecules. This leads to the improvement in solubility of the polymer and stability of the cellulose solutions. By using this two-step process, cellulose can be dissolved at 0–5 °C in contrast to the known process that requires −12 °C. Regenerated cellulose (RC) films with good mechanical properties and excellent optical transmittance were prepared successfully from the cellulose solution.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, 2010CB732203), National Supporting Project for Science and Technology (2006BAF02A09), the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program, 2003AA333040 and 2006AA02Z102), major grants of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30530850 and 59933070), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (20474048 and 20874079), and the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (DECHEMA Gesellschaft für Chemische Technik and Biotechnologie e.V., project number AiF 15875 BR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China

    Haisong Qi, Quanling Yang & Lina Zhang

  2. Centre of Excellence for Polysaccharide Research, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743, Jena, Germany

    Haisong Qi, Tim Liebert & Thomas Heinze

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  1. Haisong Qi
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  2. Quanling Yang
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  3. Lina Zhang
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  4. Tim Liebert
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  5. Thomas Heinze
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Correspondence to Lina Zhang or Thomas Heinze.

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Qi, H., Yang, Q., Zhang, L. et al. The dissolution of cellulose in NaOH-based aqueous system by two-step process. Cellulose 18, 237–245 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-010-9477-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-010-9477-8

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