The Effect of Polymorphism on the Kinetics of Adsorption and Degradation: A Case of Hydrogen Chloride Vapor on Cellulose

Eero Kontturi, Elina Niinivaara, Kaarlo Nieminen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

Abstract

Control of the reactivity of natural polymers – such as semicrystalline cellulose – through polymorphic transitions is a potent, yet underexplored tool in modern polymer science. Here, the degradation behavior of three artificial cellulose polymorphs (cellulose II, IIII, and IIIII) in the presence of hydrogen chloride vapor is explored. While the ultimate results of hydrolyses correspond to those found for aqueous HCl, the kinetic scission models exhibit a unique trend for each polymorph, unlike those reported for aqueous acid or enzymatic hydrolyses. In addition to the polymorphic distinctions, these atypical trends are attributed to the nonequilibrium in the hydrolysis set up and the irregular adsorption of HCl molecules to the substrate surfaces. The results point to a new way of approaching the reactivity of natural polymers where polymorphism is regarded as one of the parameters for the kinetics and outcome of chemical reactions.
Original languageEnglish
Article number1800026
Number of pages6
JournalAdvanced Sustainable Systems
Volume2
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

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