Maximizing the yield of water-soluble cellouronic acid sodium salt with high carboxyl content by 4-acetamide-TEMPO mediated oxidation of parenchyma cellulose from bagasse pith

Parenchyma cellulose, isolated from bagasse pith BP, was utilized as an alternative resource for preparation of soluble cellouronic acid sodium salt (SCA) by selective oxidation with the catalytic amounts of 4-acetamide-TEMPO and NaClO, in which NaClO₂ was used as a primary oxidant in an aqueous condition. The yield and carboxyl content of SCA were measured as a function of NaClO₂ content, 4-acetamide-TEMPO loading, oxidation temperature, initial pH, and reaction time, and optimized by an orthogonal test with the objective of achieving a maximum yield with high carboxyl content. An optimal SCA yield of 71.0 % with 32.92 % carboxyl content was found under the conditions of NaClO₂ dosage of 16 mmol/g, 4-acetamide-TEMPO loading of 0.20 mmol/g, and oxidation temperature of 50 °C in acetate buffer at pH 5.5 for 72 h. The structure and morphology of both parenchyma cellulose and its oxidized product were further characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These techniques confirmed that parenchyma cellulose from bagasse pith was successively modified by an effective TEMPO-derivative-catalyzed oxidation process. The finding of this study might provide guidance in maximizing the yield of SCA from parenchyma cells utilizing the 4-acetamide-TEMPO/NaClO/NaClO₂ system. Considering the simple preparation process and favorable SCA property, this BP parenchyma cellulose showed unique characteristics with a great promise for high-valued modification and application in the areas of advanced and functional materials.