Extraction and characterization of nanocellulose from cattail leaves: Morphological, microstructural and thermal properties

Hydrogen peroxide combined with acid treatment demonstrates its respective characteristics for the separation of lignocellulosic biomass. Herein, holocellulose was extracted from Cattail leaves (CL) by a two-step treatment with alkali and hydrogen peroxide-acetic acid (HPAA). Then carboxylated nanocellulose was hydrolyzed with a mixed organic/inorganic acid. The chemical composition of the holocellulose and the physicochemical properties of the separated carboxylated nanocellulose were comparable. Carboxyl groups were introduced on the nanocellulose as a result of the esterification process with citric acid (CA), which endows the nanocellulose with high thermal stability (315–318 °C) and good light transmission (>80 %). Furthermore, morphological analyses revealed that nanocellulose had a spider-web-like structure with diameter between 5 and 20 nm.