Synthesis and characterization of cellulose acetate from rice husk: Eco-friendly condition

•Synthesis and characterization of cellulose acetate (CA) from agricultural waste.•Agricultural waste [rice husk (RH)] has been highlighted here.•CA was synthesized by using a simple, efficient and cost-effective method.•Conditions were using eco-friendly solvent free with the yield 66%.•Characterization of the product by FT-IR, 1H NMR, XRD, TG, DTG, DSC, etc. Cellulose acetate was synthesized from rice husk by using a simple, efficient, cost-effective and solvent-free method. Cellulose was isolated from rice husk (RH) using standard pretreatment method with dilute alkaline and acid solutions and bleaching with 2% H2O2. Cellulose acetate (CA) was synthesized successfully with the yield of 66% in presence of acetic anhydride and iodine as a catalyst in eco-friendly solvent-free conditions. The reaction parameters were standardized at 80°C for 300min and the optimum results were taken for further study. The extent of acetylation was evaluated from % yield and the degree of substitution (DS), which was determined by 1H NMR and titrimetrically. The synthesized products were characterized with the help modern analytical techniques like FT-IR, 1H NMR, XRD, etc. and the thermal behavior was evaluated by TGA and DSC thermograms.