Spray-assisted LBL assembly of chitosan/nanocellulose as coatings of commercial membranes for oil-in-water emulsion separation

Micro/nanoengineered agricultural by-products for biomedical and environmental applications

Agriculturally derived by-products generated during the growth cycles of living organisms as secondary products have attracted increasing interest due to their wide range of biomedical and environmental applications. These by-products are considered promising candidates because of their unique characteristics including chemical stability, profound biocompatibility and offering a green approach by producing the least impact on the environment. Recently, micro/nanoengineering based techniques play a significant role in upgrading their utility, by controlling their structural integrity and promoting their functions at a micro and nano scale. Specifically, they can be used for biomedical applications such as tissue regeneration, drug delivery, disease diagnosis, as well as environmental applications such as filtration, bioenergy production, and the detection of environmental pollutants. This review highlights the diverse role of micro/nano-engineering techniques when applied on agricultural by-products with intriguing properties and upscaling their wide range of applications across the biomedical and environmental fields. Finally, we outline the future prospects and remarkable potential that these agricultural by-products hold in establishing a new era in the realms of biomedical science and environmental research.

Recent advances in nanocellulose-based two-dimensional nanostructured membranes for sustainable water purification: A review

Nanocellulose (NC), a one-dimensional nanomaterial, is considered a sustainable material for water and wastewater purification because of its promising hydrophilic surface and mechanical characteristics. In this regard, nanostructured membranes comprising NC and two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials emerged as advanced membranes for efficient and sustainable water purification. This article critically reviews the recent progress on NC-2D nanostructured membranes for water and wastewater treatment. The review highlights the main techniques employed to fabricate NC-2D nanostructured membranes. The physicochemical properties, including hydrophilicity, percent porosity, surface roughness, structure, and mechanical and thermal stability, are summarized. The key performance indicators such as permeability, rejection, long operation stability, antifouling, and interaction mechanisms are thoroughly discussed to evaluate the role of NC and 2D nanomaterials. Finally, summary points and future development work are highlighted to overcome the challenges for potential practical applications. This review contributes to the design and development of advanced membranes to solve growing water pollution concerns in a sustainable manner.