Synthesis and Characterization of Nanocellulose from Neem Sawdust as Biomass using Ionic Liquid

The primary emphasis of the work was to synthesize and characterize nanocellulose from the ionic liquid method for potential biosensor application. The lignocellulosic material like neem sawdust was utilized to prepare cellulose by treating it with sodium hydroxide and sodium chlorite solution for the delignification and removal of hemicellulose. The obtained cellulose was employed to produce nanocellulose by treating it with ionic liquid. The obtained nanocellulose was characterized for FTIR, SEM, TGA, DTA and XRD techniques. The FTIR results suggest the successful conversion of cellulose to nanocellulose and highlights the functional groups. The β-glycosidic linkage at its peak is a main characteristic feature of the cellulose backbone which remains intact in each of the samples and was greatly preserved during nanocellulose processing. SEM analysis demonstrates that the nanocellulose has fibrils with a dense agglomeration of interconnected fibrils and also confirmed that nanocellulose has a higher surface area with high flexibility, good mechanical strength and good structural integrity. The XRD results indicate the increased crystallinity in the prepared nanocellulose. The TGA and DTA represent the limited thermal stability with major thermal degradation at a specified temperature range followed by the exothermic reaction. Nanocellulose synthesized through the ionic liquid method from lignocellulosic biomass and characterized which shows good structural and thermal properties.