Production and Characterization of Cellulose and Cellulose Nanocrystals From Moss Syntrichia ruralis (Hedw.) F. Weber & D. Mohr.

Cellulose is the most abundant and widespread polymer in nature; it attracts the attention of many researchers as it can replace edible, ready-to-use and developable polymeric materials. However, perennial trees are generally preferred for cellulose production, which causes the destruction of forests and the disruption of the natural balance. The present study aimed to isolate Syntrichia ruralis cellulose to develop a new alternative source for cellulose production. Acid hydrolysis was applied to obtain cellulose nanocrystals (CN). The morphology, topology, crystallinity and thermal properties of the cellulose and CN obtained in this study were investigated in detail. Hemicellulose and lignin were almost completely removed from cellulose produced by alkali and bleaching processes, as shown by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The significant effects of zeta potential on dispersion stability were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine the resulting roughness. Thermal and mechanical properties of TGA were investigated. In addition, the morphology of CN films was investigated by SEM measurements. As a result, Syntrichia ruralis has been shown to be an alternative source of nanocellulose with the potential for use in many fields.