Dissolution and Interaction of Cellulose Carbamate in NaOH/ZnO Aqueous Solutions

The dissolution and molecular interactions of cellulose carbamate (CC) in NaOH/ZnO aqueous solutions were studied using optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), (1)H NMR, dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and molecular dynamic simulation. The dissolution of CC in NaOH/ZnO aqueous solutions using the freezing–thawing method was an exothermic process, and the lower temperature was favorable for the dissolution of CC. ZnO dissolved in NaOH aqueous solutions with the formation of Zn(OH)(4)(2−), and no free Zn(2+) ions existed in the solvents. NaOH/Na(2)Zn(OH)(4) system formed strong interactions with the hydroxyl groups of CC to improve its solubility and the stability of CC solution. The results indicate that 7 wt% NaOH/1.6 wt% ZnO aqueous solution was the most appropriate solvent for the dissolution of CC. This work revealed the dissolution interaction of CC-NaOH/ZnO solutions, which is beneficial for the industrialization of the CarbaCell process.