Extraction and Characterization of Cellulose Nanocrystals from Brown Seaweed Dictyota Bartayresiana, J.V. Lamouroux

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are a sustainable, biodegradable, and versatile material with numerous advantageous and potential applications in diverse industries. For the first time, CNC was derived from the biomass of Dictyota bartayresiana, a brown seaweed from Dictyotaceae, having commercial value and therapeutic benefits. This process involved comprehensive extraction techniques, including acid hydrolysis and mechanical dispersion, to transform the seaweed into nanocellulosic material. The structural analysis, conducted via Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), affirmed that the resulting CNC displayed an average width of approximately 26 nm and a length extending to 520 nm long. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that these extracted CNC constituted around 62% of the crystallinity index. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectral analysis confirmed the successive removal of non-cellulosic components through chemical treatments. Elemental analysis (CHNS) validated the presence of sulfate groups, accounting for 0.59%. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) results unveiled the superior thermal stability of the extracted CNC.