LIQUID CRYSTALLINE PROPERTIES OF HYDROXYPROPYL CELLULOSE PREPARED FROM DISSOLVED EGYPTIAN BAGASSE PULP

Abstract

"Egyptian agricultural wastes were used for preparing advanced cellulosic derivatives possessing liquid crystalline properties. Cellulose was successfully isolated in pure form from Egyptian bagasse pulp. Hydroxypropylation was carried out on the obtained cellulose and the liquid crystalline properties were investigated. The prepared hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) was esterified with 4-alkyloxybenzoic acids, giving products with liquid crystalline properties. The molecular structure of HPC and a series of its esters – 4-alkoxybenzoloxypropyl cellulose (ABPC-m) – was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The liquid crystalline (LC) phases and transition behaviors were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized light microscopy (PLM). The lyotropic behavior in dimethyl acetamide (DMA) was investigated using an Abee refractometer, and the critical concentration was determined by measuring the refractive index of the solutions in DMA."