All-Cellulose Composite Fibers Obtained by Electrospinning Dispersions of Cellulose Acetate and Cellulose Nanocrystals

All-cellulose composite fibers were produced by electrospinning dispersions containing cellulose acetate (CA) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). Precursor polymer matrices were obtained after dispersion of CA with different degrees of substitution in a binary mixture of organic solvents. The obtained fibers of CA loaded with CNCs had typical widths in the nano- and micro-scale and presented a glass transition temperature of 145 °C. The CA component was converted to cellulose by using alkaline hydrolysis to yield all-cellulose composite fibers that preserved the original morphology of the precursor system. Together with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy fingerprints the thermal behavior of the all-cellulose composite fibers indicated complete conversion of cellulose acetate to regenerated cellulose. Noticeable changes in the thermal, surface and chemical properties were observed upon deacetylation. Not only the thermal transitions of cellulose acetate disappeared but the initial water contact angle of the web was reduced drastically. Overall, we propose a simple method to produce all-cellulose composite fibers which are expected to display improved thermo-mechanical properties while keeping the unique features of the cellulose polymer.