Influence of operating conditions on proton conductivity of nanocellulose films using two agroindustrial wastes: Sugarcane bagasse and pinewood sawdust

Influence of Reduced Graphene Oxide and Carbon Nanotubes on the Structural, Electrical, and Photoluminescent Properties of Chitosan Films

Chitosan is a biopolymer with unique properties that have attracted considerable attention in various scientific fields in recent decades. Although chitosan is known for its poor electrical and mechanical properties, there is interest in producing chitosan-based materials reinforced with carbon-based materials to impart exceptional properties such as high electrical conductivity and high Young's modulus. This study describes the synergistic effect of carbon-based materials, such as reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes, in improving the electrical, optical, and mechanical properties of chitosan-based films. Our findings demonstrate that the incorporation of reduced graphene oxide influences the crystallinity of chitosan, which considerably impacts the mechanical properties of the films. However, the incorporation of a reduced graphene oxide-carbon nanotube complex not only significantly improves the mechanical properties but also significantly improves the optical and electrical properties, as was demonstrated from the photoluminescence studies and resistivity measurements employing the four-probe technique. This is a promising prospect for the synthesis of new materials, such as biopolymer films, with potential applications in optical, electrical, and biomedical bioengineering applications.

Isolation and Characterization of Cellulose Nanocrystals from Date Palm Waste

This study presents the isolation, characterization, and kinetic analyses of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from date palm waste in the United Arab Emirates. After bleaching date palm stem waste with acidified NaClO₂ and delignification via NaOH treatments, cellulose was extracted. Mineral acid hydrolysis (62 wt % H₂SO₄) was performed at 45 °C for 45 min to produce crystalline nanocellulose. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and chemical composition analysis confirmed the removal of noncellulosic constituents. The crystallinity index increased gradually with chemical treatments, according to the obtained X-ray diffraction (XRD) results. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry results revealed that the CNC has high thermal stability. The Coats-Redfern method was used to determine the kinetic parameters. The kinetic analysis confirmed that CNC has more activation energy than cellulose and thus confirms its compact and resistive crystalline structure. This has been attributable to the stronger hydrogen bonding in CNC crystalline domains than that in cellulose crystalline domains. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that lignin and hemicellulose were eliminated after chemical pretreatments, and CNC with a rodlike shape was obtained after hydrolysis. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy confirmed the nanoscale of crystalline cellulose. ζ potential analysis indicated that the CNC afforded a stable suspension (-29.27 mV), which is less prone to flocculation. Kinetic analyses of cellulose and cellulose nanocrystals isolated from date palm waste are useful for making composites and designing selective pyrolysis reactors.

Rhizosphere Bacteria in Plant Growth Promotion, Biocontrol, and Bioremediation of Contaminated Sites: A Comprehensive Review of Effects and Mechanisms

Agriculture in the 21st century is facing multiple challenges, such as those related to soil fertility, climatic fluctuations, environmental degradation, urbanization, and the increase in food demand for the increasing world population. In the meanwhile, the scientific community is facing key challenges in increasing crop production from the existing land base. In this regard, traditional farming has witnessed enhanced per acre crop yields due to irregular and injudicious use of agrochemicals, including pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, but at a substantial environmental cost. Another major concern in modern agriculture is that crop pests are developing pesticide resistance. Therefore, the future of sustainable crop production requires the use of alternative strategies that can enhance crop yields in an environmentally sound manner. The application of rhizobacteria, specifically, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), as an alternative to chemical pesticides has gained much attention from the scientific community. These rhizobacteria harbor a number of mechanisms through which they promote plant growth, control plant pests, and induce resistance to various abiotic stresses. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of rhizobacteria involved in plant growth promotion, biocontrol of pests, and bioremediation of contaminated soils. It also focuses on the effects of PGPR inoculation on plant growth survival under environmental stress. Furthermore, the pros and cons of rhizobacterial application along with future directions for the sustainable use of rhizobacteria in agriculture are discussed in depth.

Nopal cladode as a novel reinforcing and antioxidant agent for starch-based films: A comparison with lignin and propolis extract

The potential use of nopal cladode flour (NC) as reinforcing/bioactive agent in cassava starch-based films was evaluated and compared with the use of propolis extract or lignin, which are commonly used for these purposes. Cassava starch-based films containing untreated NC (S-NC), NC treated at pH 12 (S-NC12), aqueous propolis extract at two different concentrations (SP1 or SP2), or lignin (S-L) were produced by the casting technique; glycerol was used as plasticizer. NC12 and NC affected the mechanical properties of the cassava starch-based film similarly as compared to propolis extract and lignin. Moreover, NC and NC12 had different performance as reinforcing and antioxidant agent in cassava starch-based film. Thus, S-NC12 film was more elongable (28.5 ± 6.5%), more hydrophobic (contact angle: 70.8° ± 0.1), less permeable to water vapor (0.8 ± 0.0 × 10^-10 g·m^-1·s^-1·Pa^-1) and had better antioxidant activity by ABTS^•+ (44.70 ± 0.3 μM Trolox·g^-1 of film) than the S-NC film. SEM and TGA analysis of films showed that NC12 was better incorporated into the cassava starch matrix than NC, lignin and propolis extract. Overall, nopal cladode flour has potential use in the production of active biodegradable packaging for the food preservation with high oxidation rate.

Dataset of operating conditions to Isolate Cellulose Nanocrystalline from Sugarcane Bagasse and Pinewood Sawdust as Possible Material to Fabricate Polymer Electrolyte Membranes

The data shown in this document provides all the experimental data that complement the article published in Carbohydrate Polymers entitled “Influence of operating conditions on Proton Conductivity of Nanocellulose films using two Agroindustrial Wastes: Sugarcane Bagasse and Pinewood Sawdust” [1]. The data of this paper are the result of a large series of experiments to optimize the extraction of cellulose nanocrystalline (CNC) from these two agro-industrial wastes: sugarcane Bagasse (SCB) and pinewood sawdust (PSW). The conditions of pretreatment (5 wt.% or 10 wt.% of NaOH) and hydrolysis temperature (60, 75 and 90°C) in an aqueous solution of 45 wt.% of H₂SO₄ were analyzed exhaustively. The data includes the characterization by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry/Thermogravimetric Analysis (DSC/TGA), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) micrographs with their corresponding SAED patterns and nanoindentation tests. Additionally, photographs during the isolation of cellulose nanocrystalline in dependence of the syntheses parameters. It is also included the data that complement the molecular dynamic simulation generated by GLYCAM carbohydrate builder based on the coordinates for alpha and beta cellulose considering a microfibril of 5, 10 and 20 glucosyl residues (degree of polymerization, DP). Overall data have not been previously published and are available contributing to a better understanding of the CNCs isolation through different pretreatment concentrations and temperatures of processing.