Effects of Hydrophobic Solvents on X-Ray Diffraction Patterns of Regenerated Cellulose Membrane

Specific interactions between cellulose and hydrophobic solvents were studied using highly planar oriented cellophane and X-Ray diffraction analysis. The planar orientation index (f‖(11̅0)) was found to decrease considerably by hydrophobic solvent treatment. Toluene, a hydrophobic solvent, caused decrease at specific concentration in f‖(11̅0) at toluene content of ca. 20–40 wt % to cellulose with keeping its crystallinity and the degree of intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The molecular sheet-like assembly (corresponding to αsh relaxation), proposed previously by Yamane et al. [Polym. J., 28, 1039 (1996)] may be a plausible explanation of the result. Analysis of X-Ray diffraction intensity of cellulose/solvent systems might give some information on the extent of interaction between cellulose and solvent in question. However, whether such change in specific solvent concentration with orientation index is related to the long-periodicity change, as observed for water, should be studied.