Search

Regenerated microfibrillated cellulose (R-MFC) fibers were prepared successfully by a combined dissolution and regeneration approach using phosphoric acid/ethanol treatment on jute cellulose. The prepared R-MFC fibers possessed high surface area (10.74 m2/g), good aspect ratio (L/D = 30), and excellent thermal stability (Tmax = 352 °C). In addition, the fibers exhibited 3.84 wt % of phosphate groups (PO42–) with a ζ-potential of −8.4 mV and low crystallinity index (CI) of 47.5%. These R-MFC fibers were in the cellulose II polymorph, confirmed by 13C CPMAS NMR and WAXD measurements, and they were effective to anchor the growth of ZnO nanocrystals. WAXD and TEM examinations on the imbedded ZnO nanocrystals indicated that they possessed the hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure and could assemble into a flower-like morphology in the R-MFC scaffold. A R-MFC composite containing 41 wt % of ZnO nanocrystals was found to be very efficient to remove arsenic (As(V)) ions from water with the maximum capacity of 4,42...

Nanocelluloses, in the form of carboxycellulose nanofibers, with low crystallinity (CI ∼ 50%), high surface charge (−68 mV), and hydrophilicity (static contact angle 38°), were prepared from an untreated (raw) Australian spinifex grass using a nitro-oxidation method employing nitric acid and sodium nitrite. The resulting nanofibers (NOCNF) were found to be an effective medium to remove Cd2+ ions (cadmium(II)) from water. For example, a low concentration of NOCNF suspension (0.20 wt %) could remove Cd2+ ions over a large concentration range (50–5000 ppm) in a relatively short time period (≤5 min). The results showed that at low Cd2+ concentrations (below 500 ppm), the remediation mechanism was dominated by interactions between carboxylate groups on the NOCNF surface and Cd2+ ions, which also acted as a cross-linking agent to gel the NOCNF suspension. At high Cd2+ concentrations (above 1000 ppm), the remediation mechanism was dominated by the mineralization process of forming Cd(OH)2 nanocrystals, which was...

In this paper, we report the simple synthesis, detailed characterization, and total wastewater cleanup by adsorption using bare and surfactant-functionalized cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles. The synthesis of CeO2 nanoparticles was performed by a facile aqueous solution process and characterized by a diverse range of techniques, which confirmed that the nanoparticles are well-crystalline, possessing good structural and optical properties. The competence of the prepared nanoparticles was further explored to determine the dye removal efficiency. The developed nanoparticles have also provided chlorine-free disinfection of water. The observed results revealed that the synthesized nanoparticles efficiently lower the pollutant concentrations, reduced turbidity, and exhibited significant reductions in total dissolved solids, chemical and biochemical oxygen demands, and pathogenic load. Interestingly, the surfactant-functionalized nanoparticles revealed that they possess the ability to remove approximately 99% o...