Nanocellulose Crystals from Coir Fibre for Template Application

Undried coir cellulose was prepared by chlorite bleaching method and hydrolyzed by 50% sulphuric acid to obtain highly crystalline nanocellulose. The proximate analysis of the coir fibre such as; moisture, ash, crude fibre, protein and its mineral composition were investigated using the AOAC standard protocol. The effect of hydrolysis on coir cellulose morphology was investigated using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM). SEM, TEM and AFM images revealed that the nanocellulose dispersion consists of individual nanocellulose whiskers of about 200 nm in length and 10-30 nm in width. This study showed that cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) will be appropriate templates for surface nanostructures particularly in applications aimed at incorporating bio-materials in materials fabrication.