Synthesis and characterization of a novel graft copolymer containing carboxyl groups and its application to extract uranium(VI) from aqueous media

Recent progresses in bentonite/lignin or polysaccharide composites for sustainable water treatment

Today, with the growth of the human population, industrial activities have also increased. Different industries such as painting, cosmetics, leather, etc. have broadly developed, and as a result, they also produce a lot of pollutants. These pollutants can enter the environment and pollute water, air, and soil. Organic dyes, nitro compounds, drug residues, pesticides and herbicides are pollutants that should be removed from the environment. Natural polymers or biopolymers are important types of organic materials that are broadly applied for different applications. Among them, polysaccharides and lignin, which are two types of biopolymers, have attracted much consideration owing to their advantages such as biocompatibility, environmental friendly, safety, availability, etc. Polysaccharides include cellulose, gum, starch, alginate (Alg), chitin, and chitosan (CS). On the other hand, bentonite is one of the types of clays, which owing to their properties like large specific surface area, adsorption performance, naturally available, etc., have drawn the interest of many researchers. As a result, the synthesis of a composite including polysaccharide/lignin and bentonite can be very efficient for different applications, especially environmental ones. In this review, we instigated the preparation of these composites as well as the removal performance of them. In fact, we reported recent advancements in the synthesis of lignin- and polysaccharide-bentonite composites for the removal of diverse kinds of contaminants like organic dyes, nitro compounds, and hazardous materials.

Cellulose/nanocellulose superabsorbent hydrogels as a sustainable platform for materials applications: A mini-review and perspective

Superabsorbent hydrogels (SAH) are crosslinked three-dimensional networks distinguished by their super capacity to stabilize a large quantity of water without dissolving. Such behavior enables them to engage in various applications. Cellulose and its derived nanocellulose can become SAHs as an appealing, versatile, and sustainable platform because of abundance, biodegradability, and renewability compared to petroleum-based materials. In this review, a synthetic strategy that reflects starting cellulosic resources to their associated synthons, crosslinking types, and synthetic controlling factors was highlighted. Representative examples of cellulose and nanocellulose SAH and an in-depth discussion of structure-absorption relationships were listed. Finally, various applications of cellulose and nanocellulose SAH, challenges and existing problems, and proposed future research pathways were listed.

Dithiocarbamate-modified cellulose resins: A novel adsorbent for selective removal of arsenite from aqueous media

We synthesized three new dithiocarbamate (DTC)-modified cellulose biomaterials (DMC-1, DMC-2, and DMC-4) to investigate their adsorption capabilities as mitigators of arsenite (As^III) in aqueous media. The main novelty of the adsorbents was that, among two inorganic species of arsenic, arsenite and arsenate (As^V), DMCs were highly selective to As^III in the pH range 2-7. The surface areas of the adsorbents were unified by supporting the DMCs on silica gel (designated SSDMC-1, SSDMC-2, and SSDMC-4, respectively) to investigate the effect of the length of the alkyl chains connecting cellulose and DTC groups on As^III adsorption. The Langmuir model showed a good regression coefficient (R² > 0.96), and the isotherm results revealed that longer chains might enhance the As^III capture ability. The adsorbents were also capable of removing various heavy metals, and the coexisting ions, Fe^III, Mn^II, Pb^II, and Zn^II, had no significant impact on the removal of As^III by the DMCs. Moreover, DMC-2 could remove 98.4 ± 0.1% of As^III from artificially contaminated river water.

Multiwall carbon nanotube reinforced teflon fibrils for oil spill clean up and its effective recycling as textile dye sorbent

Surface functionalized multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) reinforced teflon fibrils (MWCNT@Teflon) were successfully tested as an - oil - absorbent that can be used as a potential oil recovery material at the time of oil spill accidents in water. We found that oleic acid functionalization of MWCNTs was important for their adhesion onto teflon fibrils and at the same time prevented the MWCNT leaching into oil/water interface. The fibrils had displayed superior mechanical and thermal stability and provided a new insight to oil spill clean-up applications with easy recovery of absorbed oil by simple squeezing. Recycling of exhausted MWCNT@Teflon fibrils after oil recovery applications was conducted by pyrolysis under inert atmosphere in presence of magnetic clay. The magnetic clay absorbed the pyrolysis products, resulting in a heterostructured magnetic clay carbon composite (MCC) which was found super paramagnetic and chemically stable in all pH. The MCC was found capable of adsorbing textile dye from water ultra-fast with in a maximum contact time of 2 min and magnetically separable after adsorption experiments.

Amidoximated poly(vinyl imidazole)-functionalized molybdenum disulfide sheets for efficient sorption of a uranyl tricarbonate complex from aqueous solutions

A new method is developed for effective uranium(vi) sorption from aqueous solution through amidoximated poly(vinyl imidazole)-functionalized MoS₂ sheets.