Cellulose‑copper as bio-supported recyclable catalyst for the clickable azide-alkyne [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction in water.

Naturally-occurring cellulose has been employed as a bio-support macromolecule for the immobilization of either copper(I) or copper(II) ions in order to click azide and alkyne derivatives in water. Under such a click regime, 1,4-disubstitued-1,2,3-triazoles were obtained regioselectively in excellent yields at room temperature. The reaction work-up is simple and the bio-heterogeneous catalyst that has been fully characterized by AAS, SEM, EDX and FT-IR can be easily separated and reused at least five times without any significant decrease in its activity and selectivity, particularly in the case of the very stable CuI-Cellulose.

Bio-based polyurethane reinforced with cellulose nanofibers: a comprehensive investigation on the effect of interface.

Novel bio-based polyurethane (PU) nanocomposites composed of cellulose nanofiller extracted from the rachis of date palm tree and polycaprolactone (PCL) diol based PU were prepared by casting/evaporation. Two types of nanofiber were used: cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). The mechanical and thermal properties of the nanocomposite films were studied by DMA, DSC, and tensile tests and the morphology was investigated by SEM.

Electric field alignment of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) in silicone oil: impact on electrical properties.

This work aims to study how the magnitude, frequency, and duration of an AC electric field affect the orientation of two kinds of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) dispersed in silicone oil that differ by their surface charge density and aspect ratio. In both cases, the electric field alignment occurs in two steps: first, the NFC makes a gyratory motion oriented by the electric field; second, NFC interacts with itself to form chains parallel to the electric field lines. It was also observed that NFC chains become thicker and longer when the duration of application of the electric field is increased.

Control of size and viscoelastic properties of nanofibrillated cellulose from palm tree by varying the TEMPO-mediated oxidation time.

The main objective of the present study was to control and optimize the preparation of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) from the date palm tree by monitoring the oxidation time (degree of oxidation) of the pristine cellulose and the number of cycles through the homogenizer. The oxidation was monitored by TEMPO (1-oxo-2,2,6,6-tétraméthylpipyridine 1-oxyle) mediated oxidation. Evidence of the successful isolation of NFC was given by FE-SEM observation revealing fibrils with a width in the range 20-30nm, depending of the oxidation time.