Removal of nafcillin sodium monohydrate from aqueous solution by hydrogels containing nanocellulose: An experimental and theoretical study

Recent advances in nanocellulose-based adsorbent for sustainable removal of pharmaceutical contaminants from water bodies: A review

The long-term presence of pharmaceutical pollution in water bodies has raised public awareness. Nanocellulose is often used in adsorption to remove pollutants from wastewater since it is an abundant, green and sustainable material. This paper offers an extensive overview of the recent works reporting the potential of nanocellulose-based adsorbents to treat pharmaceutical wastewater. This study distinguishes itself by not only summarizing recent research findings but also critically integrating discussions on the improvements in nanocellulose production and sorts of alterations based on the type of pharmaceutical contaminants. Commonly, charged, or hydrophobic characteristics are introduced onto nanocellulose surfaces to accelerate and enhance the removal of pharmaceutical compounds. Although adsorbents based on nanocellulose have considerable potential, several significant challenges impede their practical application, particularly concerning cost and scalability. Large-scale synthesis of nanocellulose is technically challenging and expensive, which prevents its widespread use in wastewater treatment plants. Continued innovation in this area could lead to breakthroughs in the practical application of nanocellulose as a superior adsorbent. The prospects of utilization of nanocellulose are explained, providing a sustainable way to address the existing restriction and maximize the application of the modified nanocellulose in the field of pharmaceutical pollutants removal.

Removal of nafcillin from aqueous solution with green synthesis iron oxide nanoparticles

In this study, iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized from Solanum nigrum L. extract and used to remove nafcillin, which exhibits toxic properties in aqueous solutions. To understand the adsorption behavior of naphcillin on the nanoadsorbent, the optimum conditions, kinetics and isotherm of adsorption were studied in detail. It was found that the adsorption process was consistent with the pseudo-second order kinetic model and Langmuir's isothermal model. The FeONPs adsorbent achieved an adsorption capacity of 116.3 mg/g for nafcillin. It was also found that FeONPs retained ~90% of its adsorption capacity after five adsorption-desorption cycles. Apart from the fact that the nanoparticles synthesized in the study are composed of natural ingredients, S. nigrum L. which causes problems in plant cultivation, serves a useful purpose by being used in this method. The results show that this new nanoadsorbent provides an alternative option for the removal of pharmaceuticals and various pollutants in wastewater.

Effects of Chitosan and Cellulose Derivatives on Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Based Films: A Study of Rheological Properties of Film-Forming Solutions

Bio-based packaging materials and efficient drug delivery systems have garnered attention in recent years. Among the soluble cellulose derivatives, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) stands out as a promising candidate due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and wide resources. However, CMC-based films have limited mechanical properties, which hinders their widespread application. This paper aims to address this issue by exploring the molecular interactions between CMC and various additives with different molecular structures, using the rheological method. The additives include O-carboxymethylated chitosan (O-CMCh), N-2-hydroxypropyl-3-trimethylammonium-O-carboxymethyl chitosan (HTCMCh), hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), and cellulose nanofibers (CNF). By investigating the rheological properties of film-forming solutions, we aimed to elucidate the influencing mechanisms of the additives on CMC-based films at the molecular level. Various factors affecting rheological properties, such as molecular structure, additive concentration, and temperature, were examined. The results revealed that the interactions between CMC and the additives were dependent on the charge of the additives. Electrostatic interactions were observed for HACC and HTCMCh, while O-CMCh, CNC, and CNF primarily interacted through hydrogen bonds. Based on these rheological properties, several systems were selected to prepare the films, which exhibited excellent transparency, wettability, mechanical properties, biodegradability, and absence of cytotoxicity. The desirable characteristics of these selected films demonstrated the strong biocompatibility between CMC and chitosan and cellulose derivatives. This study offers insights into the preparation of CMC-based food packaging materials with specific properties.

Dual-functional lignin-based hydrogels for sustained release of agrochemicals and heavy metal ion complexation

An effective way of improving the efficiency of agrochemicals and improving crop yield and quality is by slow or sustained release, which is conducive to environmental protection. Meanwhile, the excessive amount of heavy metal ions in soil can create toxicity in plants. Here, we prepared lignin-based dual-functional hydrogels containing conjugated agrochemical and heavy metal ligands through free-radical copolymerization. The content of the agrochemicals (including plant growth regulator 3-indoleacetic acid (IAC) and herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (DCP)) in the hydrogels were tuned by changing the hydrogel composition. The conjugated agrochemicals could slowly release through the gradual cleavage of the ester bond. As a result of the release of the DCP herbicide, the growth of lettuce was effectively regulated, thus confirming the feasibility and effectiveness of this system in application. At the same time, due to the presence of metal chelating groups (such as COOH, phenolic OH, and tertiary amine) the hydrogels could act as adsorbents or stabilizers towards heavy metal ions for improving the soil remediation and preventing the adsorption of these toxic metals by plant roots. Specifically, Cu(II) and Pb(II) could be adsorbed >380 and 60 mg/g, respectively.