Comparison of cellulose nanocrystals obtained by sulfuric acid hydrolysis and ammonium persulfate, to be used as coating on flexible food-packaging materials

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), extracted from trees, plants, or similar cellulose-containing materials, can be used in combination with other materials to improve their performance or introduce new applications. The main purpose of this study was to compare and understand the potentialities, as coatings for Poly(ethylene terephthalate) films, of CNCs obtained starting from the same cotton linters by two different processes: sulfuric acid hydrolysis and a less common treatment with ammonium persulfate (APS), able to provide also a cellulose oxidation. The results showed that CNCs produced through the APS treatment showed higher charge densities, due to the carboxylic groups formed during the…