Insight into thermal stability of cellulose nanocrystals from new hydrolysis methods with acid blends

This study provides insight into the thermal degradation of cotton cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) by tuning their physico-chemical properties through acid hydrolysis using blends of phosphoric and sulfuric acid. CNCs isolated by sulfuric acid hydrolysis are known to degrade at lower temperatures than CNCs hydrolyzed with phosphoric acid; however, the reason for this change is unclear. Although all CNCs are inherently relatively thermally stable, …