One-pot catalytic isolation of cellulose nanocrystals from agricultural biomass – Oat hull, wheat straw, and flax straw: Physicochemical characterization
Amin Babaei‐Ghazvini, Ravi Kumar Patel, Bahareh Vafakish, Sean McAlpine, Bishnu Acharya
Abstract
• Cu 2+ catalytic method isolates CNCs from oat hulls, wheat straw, and flax straw. • Drying improves CNC crystallinity, thermal stability, and surface purity. • XPS confirms Cu 2+ removal and better surface chemistry in dried CNCs. • Wheat straw CNCs show the highest crystallinity among the tested sources. • Agricultural residues are viable sources for sustainable nanomaterials. The depletion of fossil fuel resources and their environmental impact have driven interest in renewable materials. Cellulose, derived from lignocellulosic biomass, has emerged as a promising candidate for sustainable applications due to its abundance, biodegradability, and versatile properties. This study explores isolating cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from oat hulls, wheat straw, and flax straw using a one-pot Cu 2+ -catalyzed method. Compared to traditional acid hydrolysis methods, the Cu 2+ -catalyzed approach reduces chemical consumption, eliminates the need for multistep neutralization, and achieves CNC yields of up to 61.9 %, with high crystallinity and improved thermal stability. CNCs were characterized to evaluate their surface chemistry, structural morphology, and thermal properties, with XPS confirming minimal Cu 2+ residues in dried samples. These results highlight the potential of agricultural byproducts as sustainable sources for high-value nanomaterials, advancing circular bioeconomy solutions.