Analysis of the oxidation of cellulose fibres by titration and XPS

A sustainable carbon aerogel from waste paper with exceptional performance for antibiotics removal from water

In this work, a sustainable 3D carbon aerogel (AO-WPC) is prepared from waste paper (WP), and used for efficient antibiotics removal from water. The AO-WPC aerogel shows good mechanical property and can recover after 100th of 30 % compression strain. The specific surface area of AO-WPC aerogel is up to 654.58 m2/g. More importantly, this aerogel reveals proper pore size distribution, including micro sized macropores between carbon fibers and intrinsic nano scale mesopores (11.86 nm), which is conducive to remove antibiotics from water. Taking tetracycline (Tc) as an example, the maximum adsorption capacity and adsorption rate of AO-WPC for Tc are as high as 384.6 mg/g and 0.510 g/(mg‧min), respectively, which exhibits significant advantages over most of the recent absorbents, and the adsorption toward Tc reveals good resistance to various environmental factors, including pH, various ions, and dissolved organic matter (DOM). Moreover, good thermal stability enables the AO-WPC aerogel to be regenerated through simple burning, and the adsorption capacity of Tc only decreases by 10.4 % after 10 cycles. Mechanism research shows that hydrogen bonding and π-π electron-donor-acceptor (EDA) interaction play the important role in the adsorption. The excellent mechanical property and adsorption performance imply good practical prospect of the AO-WPC aerogel.

Cellulose Nanostructures as Tunable Substrates for Nanocellulose-Metal Hybrid Flexible Composites

Nanocomposite represents the backbone of many industrial fabrication applications and exerts a substantial social impact. Among these composites, metal nanostructures are often employed as the active constituents, thanks to their various chemical and physical properties, which offer the ability to tune the application scenarios in thermal management, energy storage, and biostable materials, respectively. Nanocellulose, as an emerging polymer substrate, possesses unique properties of abundance, mechanical flexibility, environmental friendliness, and biocompatibility. Based on the combination of flexible nanocellulose with specific metal fillers, the essential parameters involving mechanical strength, flexibility, anisotropic thermal resistance, and conductivity can be enhanced. Nowadays, the approach has found extensive applications in thermal management, energy storage, biostable electronic materials, and piezoelectric devices. Therefore, it is essential to thoroughly correlate cellulose nanocomposites' properties with different metallic fillers. This review summarizes the extraction of nanocellulose and preparation of metal modified cellulose nanocomposites, including their wide and particular applications in modern advanced devices. Moreover, we also discuss the challenges in the synthesis, the emerging designs, and unique structures, promising directions for future research. We wish this review can give a valuable overview of the unique combination and inspire the research directions of the multifunctional nanocomposites using proper cellulose and metallic fillers.

Plant-Assisted Synthesis of Ag-Based Nanoparticles on Cotton: Antimicrobial and Cytotoxicity Studies

The syntheses of Ag-based nanoparticles (NPs) with the assistance of plant extracts have been shown to be environmentally benign and cost-effective alternatives to conventional chemical syntheses. This study discusses the application of Paliurus spina-christi, Juglans regia, Humulus lupulus, and Sambucus nigra leaf extracts for in situ synthesis of Ag-based NPs on cotton fabric modified with citric acid. The presence of NPs with an average size ranging from 57 to 99 nm on the fiber surface was confirmed by FESEM. XPS analysis indicated that metallic (Ag0) and/or ionic silver (Ag2O and AgO) appeared on the surface of the modified cotton. The chemical composition, size, shape, and amounts of synthesized NPs were strongly dependent on the applied plant extract. All fabricated nanocomposites exhibited excellent antifungal activity against yeast Candida albicans. Antibacterial activity was significantly stronger against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus than Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. In addition, 99% of silver was retained on the samples after 24 h of contact with physiological saline solution, implying a high stability of nanoparticles. Cytotoxic activity towards HaCaT and MRC5 cells was only observed for the sample synthetized in the presence of H. lupulus extract. Excellent antimicrobial activity and non-cytotoxicity make the developed composites efficient candidates for medicinal applications.

Enrichment and immobilization of heavy metal ions from wastewater by nanocellulose/carbon dots-derived composite

Heavy metal ions (HMIs) have been widely applied in various industries because of their excellent physicochemical properties. However, their discharging without appropriate treatment brought about serious pollution problems. So it is desirable but challenging to rapidly and completely clean up these toxic pollutants from water, especially utilizing environmentally friendly and naturally rich biomass materials. In this work, we prepared nanocellulose/carbon dots/magnesium hydroxide (CCMg) ternary composite using cotton via a simple hydrothermal method. The removal mechanism towards Cd2+ and Cu2+ was investigated using a combination of experimental techniques and density functional theory calculations. CCMg shows a good ability to remove HMIs. It is realized that the interaction between each component of CCMg and cadmium nitrate is mainly of hydrogen/dative bonds. Cadmium nitrate is preferentially enriched by the Mg(OH)2 moiety, proved by calculated thermodynamics, interfacial interactions and charges. After transformation, the cadmium carbonate precipitate is fixed on the surface by nanocellulose (NC) via chemical coupling; and of interest is that copper ion precipitates in the form of basic sulfate. Due to its high adsorption effect and simple recovery operation, CCMg is having a wide range of application prospects as a water treatment agent.

Indoor ozone removal and deposition using unactivated solid and liquid coffee

Managing indoor ozone levels is important because ozone is a hazardous pollutant that has adverse effects on human health. Coffee is a popular daily beverage, and thus, coffee beans and spent coffee grounds are common in many places such as offices, homes, aircraft, cafeterias, and such. The most common material used to remove ozone is activated carbon which can be made from coffee beans or spent coffee grounds with proper activation processes. This paper presents a novel idea: to remove ozone at the level of an indoor environment using unactivated coffee products. This paper examines the ozone removal efficiency and the ozone deposition velocity at 130 ppb ozone for two types of coffee: solid coffee (powder) and liquid coffee (beverage). The activated carbon, the deionized water, and the seawater are also included for comparison and validation purposes. The tests show that the fine coffee powder has a removal efficiency of 58.5% and a deposition velocity of 0.62 cm/s. The liquid coffee has a removal efficiency of 34.4% and a deposition velocity of 0.23 cm/s. The chemical inspections indicate that the oxidation reactions with the carbohydrates in solid coffee and the metal/mineral elements in liquid coffee are responsible for ozone removal. These results have confirmed that ozone removal via coffee is effective, controlling indoor air quality by coffee products is thus becoming possible.

Polydopamine-Modified Cellulose Nanofibril Composite Aerogel: An Effective Dye Adsorbent

In this study, a new cellulose nanofibril (CNF) composite aerogel was fabricated using a green and facile mussel-inspired coating strategy. First, the CNF hydrogel was crosslinked by calcium ion followed by immersion in dopamine solution. Second, the surface of CNF was modified using polydopamine (PDA) to obtain PDA@CNF (PCNF) composite aerogel. The PCNF composite aerogels had large surface areas (368.15 m²/g) and low bulk density (27.2 mg/cm³). The composite aerogel exhibited improved mechanical properties, which were almost three times compared with those of CNF aerogel. Moreover, PCNF composite aerogel had good resilience under a wet state. The PDA functional layer remarkably enhanced the adsorption capacities of the composite aerogel for methylene blue (MB). The maximum adsorption of MB was 208 mg/g at an initial dye concentration of 50 mg/L. The adsorption isotherm and kinetic behaviors of the composite aerogel were consistent with Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models. In addition, the PCNF composite aerogels had a high adsorption capacity over a wide pH range. The reuse experiment showed that the removal efficiency of the composite aerogel remained higher than 85% after five cycles. Therefore, PCNF composite aerogels may have potential application in wastewater treatment due to its environmental sustainability and low energy consumption.

Chitosan Functionalized with 2-Methylpyridine Cross-Linker Cellulose to Adsorb Pb(II) from Water

In this study, chitosan was chemically modified with 2-methylpyridine. Subsequently, the modified chitosan was cross-linked to cellulose using succinic anhydride. Additionally, the capacity of cellulose derivatives to adsorb Pb(II) ions in an aqueous solution was studied through the determination of Pb(II) ions concentration in water, using microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES). A maximum adsorption capacity of 6.62, 43.14, 60.6, and 80.26 mg/g was found for cellulose, cellulose-succinic acid, cellulose-chitosan, and cellulose-chitosan-pyridine, respectively. The kinetic data analysis of the adsorption process showed a pseudo-second-order behavior. The increase in metal removal from water is possibly due to metal chelation with the carbonyl group of succinic acid, and the pyridine groups incorporated into chitosan.

The Development and Characterization of a Cotton-Chitosan Composite for Lead Removal from Water

Heavy metals in water are a serious environmental problem due to their accumulation and toxicity; there are several processes we can use to address this issue, but adsorption is the most popular due to its simplicity and efficiency. Polysaccharides such as cellulose have received attention as adsorbents for heavy metals, and cotton-chitosan composites (CCs) were developed here with nontoxic reagents such as carboxylic acids as crosslinkers and NaH2PO4 as a catalyst to achieve chitosan covalent crosslinkage into oxidized cotton textiles with H2O2. The composites were characterized by fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), elemental analysis (EA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic-force and scanning electron microscopy (AFM and SEM), and tensile strength; the adsorption of lead ions (Pb) was evaluated with cotton-chitosan composites and quantified by microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES). The composites showed a maximum incorporation of chitosan of 27.62 mg per gram of cotton textile. A tensile strength analysis of the composite showed a Young's modulus approximately 1 MPa higher than that of cotton textile. The adsorption of lead ions with composites in an aqueous solution at pH 5 and 25 °C was circa 74% after 6 h of contact, as determined by MP-AES. This work is an approach to demonstrate the potential of these polysaccharides, modified by "green" procedures to remove pollutants from water.

Partially Oxidized Cellulose grafted with Polyethylene Glycol mono-Methyl Ether (m-PEG) as Electrolyte Material for Lithium Polymer Battery

Herein, a novel cellulose derivative has been synthesized and investigated as a nature-derived solid polymer electrolyte for lithium batteries. Cellulose is oxidized in a two-step process to dicarboxylic acid cellulose to allow for grafting low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether (550 g mol^-1) via Fischer-Speier esterification at the thus obtained carboxyl groups. The chemical structure of the synthesized materials is confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as well as X-ray diffraction. Incorporating lithium bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) as conducting salt and N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Pyr₁₄TFSI) ionic liquid as plasticizer results in the realization of an amorphous and solvent-free solid polymer electrolyte. These electrolyte membranes are characterized by high thermal and electrochemical stability and ionic conductivities of about 1×10^-5 S cm^-1 at 20 °C and 2.5×10^-4 S cm^-1 at 80 °C, which enables very stable lithium stripping and plating for more than 800 h.

Multifunctional nanocellulose/metal and metal oxide nanoparticle hybrid nanomaterials

Nanocellulose materials are derived from cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on the earth. Nanocellulose have been extensively used in the field of food packaging materials, wastewater treatment, drug delivery, tissue engineering, hydrogels, aerogels, sensors, pharmaceuticals, and electronic sectors due to their unique chemical structure and excellent mechanical properties. On the other hand, metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (NP) such as Ag NP, ZnO NP, CuO NP, and Fe₃O₄ NP have a variety of functional properties such as UV-barrier, antimicrobial, and magnetic properties. Recently, nanocelluloses materials have been used as a green template for producing metal or metal oxide nanoparticles. As a result, multifunctional nanocellulose/metal or metal oxide hybrid nanomaterials with high antibacterial properties, ultraviolet barrier properties, and mechanical properties were prepared. This review emphasized recent information on the synthesis, properties, and potential applications of multifunctional nanocellulose-based hybrid nanomaterials with metal or metal oxides such as Ag NP, ZnO NP, CuO NP, and Fe₃O₄ NP. The nanocellulose-based hybrid nanomaterials have huge potential applications in the area of food packaging, biopharmaceuticals, biomedical, and cosmetics.

Spectrophotometric investigation of the interactions between cationic (C.I. Basic Blue 9) and anionic (C.I. Acid Blue 25) dyes in adsorption onto extracted cellulose from Posidonia oceanic in single and binary system

Extracted cellulose from Posidonia oceanica was used as an adsorbent for removal of a cationic (Basic blue 9, BB) and anionic textile dye (Acid blue 25, AB) from aqueous solution in single dye system. Characterization of the extracted cellulose and extracted cellulose-dye systems were performed using several techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, zeta potential and Boehm acid-base titration method. Adsorption tests showed that the extracted cellulose presented higher adsorption of BB than AB in single dye system, revealing that electrostatic interactions are responsible, in the first instance, for the dye-adsorbent interaction. In single dye systems, the extracted cellulose presented the maximum adsorption capacities of BB and AB at 0.955 mmol.g(-1) and 0.370 mmol.g(-1), respectively. Adsorption experiments of AB dye on extracted cellulose saturated by BB dye exhibited the release of the latter dye from the sorbent which lead to dye-dye interaction in aqueous solution due to electrostatic attraction between both species. Interaction of BB and AB dyes were investigated using spectrophotometric analysis and results demonstrated the formation of a molecular complex detected at wavelengths 510 and 705 nm when anionic (AB) and cationic (BB) dye were taken in equimolar proportions. The adsorption isotherm of AB, taking into account the dye-dye interaction was investigated and showed that BB dye was released proportionately by AB equilibrium concentration. It was also observed that AB adsorption is widely enhanced when the formation of the molecular complex is disadvantaged.

A Novel Approach to Incorporation of Chitosan in Cotton for Improving Fabric Performance

Incorporation of chitosan in the molecular structure of a cotton surface was effected by two approaches. The first approach involved oxidation of cotton fabric with sodium periodate (NaIO4) and treatment of the fabric with chitosan in the subsequent step. The second approach formed the basis for devising a single-step process in which the fabric was treated in an aqueous solution containing both oxidants and chitosan. Appropriate conditions were established for a two-step process. The results of one step process were used to devise a novel one-step process in which cotton fabric containing chitosan could be achieved. This fabric exhibited significantly improved performances when compared with the untreated and processed fabric. It is assumed that NaIO4 oxidants and chitosan enhance the interaction of chitosan with cotton by modifying the molecular structure of both.

Potential of nanocrystalline cellulose-fibrin nanocomposites for artificial vascular graft applications

The potential of synthesizing new nanocomposites from nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) and fibrin for small-diameter replacement vascular graft (SDRVG) application was demonstrated. Periodate oxidation of NCC can augment reactive carbonyl groups on NCC and facilitate its cross-linking with fibrin. NCC-fibrin nanocomposites were synthesized, composed of homogeneously dispersed oxidized NCC (ONCC) in a fibrin matrix, with fibrin providing elasticity and ONCC providing strength. The maximum strength and elongation of the nanocomposites were determined by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and compared with a native blood vessel. The manipulation of degree of oxidation of NCC and the NCC-to-fibrin ratio resulted in the variation of strength and elongation of the nanocomposites, indicating that the nanocomposites can be tailored to conform to the diverse mechanical properties of native blood vessels. A mechanistic understanding of the molecular interactions of ONCC and fibrin was illustrated. This study established fundamental information to utilizing NCC for SDRVG applications.

Biomimetic calcium phosphate crystal mineralization on electrospun cellulose-based scaffolds

Novel cellulose based-scaffolds were studied for their ability to nucleate bioactive calcium phosphate crystals for future bone healing applications. Cellulose-based scaffolds were produced by electrospinning cellulose acetate (CA) dissolved in a mixture of acetone/dimethylacetamide (DMAc). The resulting nonwoven CA mats containing fibrils with diameters in the range of 200 nm to 1.5 μm were saponified by NaOH/ethanol for varying times to produce regenerated cellulose scaffolds. Biomimetic crystal growth nucleated from the fiber surface was studied as a function of surface chemistry. Regenerated cellulose scaffolds of varying treatments were soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution. Scaffolds that were treated with CaCl(2), a mixture of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and CaCl(2), and NaOH and CaCl(2), were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy to understand the growth of bioactive calcium phosphate (Ca-P) crystals as a function of surface treatment. The crystal structure of the nucleated Ca-P crystals had a diffraction pattern similar to that of hydroxyapatite, the mineralized component of bone. The study shows that the scaffold surface chemistry can be manipulated, providing numerous routes to engineer cellulosic substrates for the requirements of scaffolding.

The mechanism of polyelectrolyte-assisted retention of TiO2 filler particles during paper formation

The mechanism of the retention of TiO(2) filler particles on cellulose fibers has been under discussion for several decades; the diverse models, and the properties of the components relevant to retention, are critically reviewed in the first part of this study. In addition, two new quantitative models of detachment of polyelectrolyte-bonded colloidal particles from the fiber are also examined; one of these is based on DLVO theory for description of the influence of particle charge and polyelectrolyte amount, and should hold true at low shear rates and high bond strengths. The other model applies Kolmogorov's theory of isotropic turbulence in order to relate the work necessary for particle detachment to the turbulent energy of pulp in paper machines, i.e., under high shear rate and low bond-strength conditions. The second model is based on analysis of fluid dynamics in paper machines, and is formulated here for laboratory tests using the Dynamic Drainage Jar (DDJ). A series of laboratory-prepared TiO(2) fillers covering a range of isoelectric points (ieps) from pH 4.4 to pH 7.5, additionally with poly-(aminoamide)-epichlorohydrin (PAE) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) as retention aids, and commercially milled cellulose, were used in the experimental part of the study. The retention-aid demand of fillers and cellulose for surface neutralization was determined using electrokinetic methods. Filler retention on cellulose was measured in the DDJ for various stirrer speeds and amounts of retention aid, with the amount of filler not exceeding that for a monolayer on the fiber. Without retention aids, neutral filler particles are accordingly completely retained on the negative fiber, whereas negatively charged particles are not. The retention of the latter can, however, be steadily improved by increasing polyelectrolyte concentration. Retention of colloidal particles in paper manufacturing is therefore determined by a delicate balance between H-bridging and van der Waals forces, on the one hand, and Coulomb forces, on the other, resolving the long-enduring debate concerning the relative influence of bridging and patch-charge mechanisms. Results obtained using PAE also indicate that polyelectrolytes initially spread over the filler surface are redistributed into the gap between the filler particle and the fiber during filler attachment.

Effect of Sodium Periodate Selective Oxidation on Crystallinity of Cotton Cellulose

The cotton fiber was oxidized to dialdehyde cellulose by sodium periodate oxidation reaction. The oxidized cotton samples having different oxidation level were obtained with adjusting the periodate concentration and oxidation time. The wide angle X-ray diffraction analysis indicated the crystallinity of the cotton cellulose by the slight oxidation increased, whereas the crystallinity decreased significantly with increase in the degree of oxidation of the cotton cellulose. Differential scanning calorimetric curves of the oxidized samples showed that the slightly oxidized cotton cellulose decomposed at a somewhat higher temperature than the original cotton cellulose in the endothermic decomposition stages up to 350 . However, as the periodate concentration and oxidation time were enhanced further, the endothermic decomposition peak of the oxidized cotton cellulose shifted fast to lower temperature. Furthermore, the changes in the structure and crystallinity were also reflected in the mechanical property studies of these oxidized cellulose samples. The mechanical strength of the cotton thread, which was oxidized by periodate at the concentration of 0.0–1.0 mg/ml and oxidation time for 0–3 h, was found to be almost the same as the original cotton thread, but it decreased remarkably when the oxidation conditions became stronger. These results obtained suggest information in understanding the crystalline structure changes of cellulose in periodate oxidation and planning applications of the oxidized cellulose products.

Improvement of chitosan adsorption onto cellulosic fabrics by plasma treatment

Oxygen plasma treatment was applied in order to improve the adsorption of chitosan onto viscose fabric. Modification of the surface and adsorption of chitosan was monitored by determination of XPS spectra, determination of contact angles from rates of water imbibition, and conductometric titration. The plasma treatment resulted in hydrophilization of the surfaces through oxidation. The hydrophilic surfaces were stable for at least 24 h. The treatment also yielded binding sites that resulted in over 20% increase of the amount of chitosan adsorbed over that adsorbed on nontreated fabric. Layers of chitosan adsorbed after plasma treatment were substantially more active as antimicrobial agents than those on nontreated surfaces.