Synthesis Of Cellulose Nanofibers From Organic Peel Waste: An Acid Hydrolysis And Ultrasonication Approach
Syukri Arief, Mailani Putri, Gusliani Eka Putri, Tio Putra Wendari,

aDepartment of Chemistry, Universitas Andalas, Padang 25163, Indonesia
bDepartment Biomedical Science, Universitas Syedza Saintika, Padang 25132, Indonesia

Abstract

Nanocellulose was successfully extracted from Nipah fruit peel (Nypa fruticans) fibers to study the characteristics of nanocellulose derived from natural materials. The extraction process involved several chemical pre-treatment steps, such as delignification and bleaching, to eliminate lignin, hemicellulose, and other extractive substances. Cellulose was then modified into nanoscale using both chemical methods like acid hydrolysis and mechanical methods such as ultrasonication. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the successful removal of hemicellulose and lignin from the cellulose structure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the crystal size and degree of crystallinity reached their peak values after acid hydrolysis, with a crystal size of 24.96 nm and a degree of crystallinity of 92%. However, after 120 minutes of ultrasonication, a reduction in crystal size to 13.86 nm and crystallinity to 85% was observed. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the produced nanocellulose displayed a nanofiber morphology, with diameters ranging from 15 to 20 nm. These results indicate that Nipah fruit peel fibers have significant potential as a commercially viable source of nanocellulose.

Keywords: Nypa fruticans, cellulose, nanocellulose, acid hydrolysis, sonication

Topic: Chemistry