Phosphorylated micro- vs. nano-cellulose: a comparative study on their surface functionalisation, growth of titanium-oxo-phosphate clusters and removal of chemical pollutants

Controlled cellulose disassembly affords many variants including amorphous micro-sized cellulose crystals (MCC) and cellulose nano-sized crystals (CNC), which have emerged recently as green and sustainable nanomaterials. Unfortunately, their lower reactivity and thermal and chemical instability constitute an impediment for multifaceted nanoscience and nanotechnology usage. Herein, MCC and CNC are functionalised using two phosphorus derivatives (phosphoryl chloride and hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene), under acid-free, urea-free and corrosive-free, gentle experimental conditions. Notably, CNC can accommodate more phosphorus species compared to MCC, with the bulky phosphazene precursor being le…