Preparation and Characterization of Cellulose

Fibers for Biochemical Applications

Delaine Zayaz-Bazán1, José A. Cruz-Arzón1, Nelson Granda-Paz1, and Wilfredo Otaño-Rivera3,4

1-Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Cayey, Puerto Rico1-Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Puerto Rico

3- Department of Physics-Mathematics, University of Puerto Rico at Cayey, Puerto Rico

4-Institute for Functional Nanomaterials, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Problem•Is it possible to prepare electrospun

cellulose fibers that could be used for separation of proteins producing high flow and mass transfer?

Objectives• Prepare cellulose acetate fibers by

electrospinning and transform them into cellulose by a deacetylation process

• Characterize fibers by SEM and FTIR among other techniques.

• Evaluate chemical and physical electrospinning process parameters in order to craft porosity of cellulose fibers.

Basic ConceptsCellulose Acetate Cellulose

• Molar Mass 30,000

• Density 1.3 g/cm3

• Molar Mass 600,000

• Density 1.5 g/cm3

•Cellulose Acetate for fiber synthesis

•Cellulose for protein separation

Methodology

Methodology

+

Cellulose acetate Acetone/DMF/EtOH

Cellulose 21% sol

Electrospinning

• Typical conditions▫ Distance: 18 cm▫ 20.0 kV▫ 0.5 mL/ hr

Results

21% CA fibers

Results

Fiber Diameter

Average 693 ±306

Deacetylation

Regenerated Cellulose Membrane

OH-

500100015002000250030003500400045005000

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

AC.jws.dx

Wavenumbers [1/cm]

Tran

smitt

ance

1745

FTIR Analysis

1740

FTIR Analysis

Deacetylation

•Cellulose Acetate

•Cellulose

Esther Functional Group

Hydroxyl Group

0500100015002000250030003500400045005000

-0.02

0

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

0.12

0.14

control #2 C Vibha Smooth.jws.dx smoothed smoothedm#D CR.jws.dx smoothed smoothed

Wavenumbers [1/cm]

Tra

nsm

itta

nce

1640

FTIR Analysis

Regenerated vs. Comercial Cellulose

Porosity Measurements

±9

Conclusions

•The work is still going on ▫The preliminary results show that cellulose

can be regenerated from the acetate•Future Works

Acknowledgements

•UPR at Cayey

•RISE Program

•NAMAS Lab

•Our Lab Group

•Professor Vibha Bansal

Thank You

Questions?