Further studies on cellulose III polymorphs. Transformations to cellulose IV lattices and subsequent reactions

Production of cellulose IV polymorphs, their characterization using X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy, as well as the effect of chemical treatments on these polymorphs have been investigated. Cellulose IIII and IIIII polymorphs, produced from celluloses I and II using EDA—MeOH treatments, were of particular interest as starting materials in the study. Celluloses IVI and IVII gave identical equatorial X-ray patterns in the absence of other crystal lattices in the samples. Crystallinity as well as conformation were indicated to influence production and further reactions of the samples. The latter included boiling in water, acid hydrolysis, and treatments with EDA—water, EDA—MeOH, and NaOH solutions. Cellulose IVI → I, IVI → I → II, and cellulose IVII → II lattice conversions were demonstrated to occur with EDA—water treatments, thereby providing a new technique for observing these transformations. Conformational differences were apparent among celluloses I, II, IIII, and IIIII, each produced using different experimental procedures.