Nanocellulose-Zeolite Composite Films for Odor Elimination

A Versatile Shaping Method of Very-High Loading Porous Solids Paper Adsorbent Composites

Owing to their high porosity and tunability, porous solids such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), zeolites, or activated carbons (ACs) are of great interest in the fields of air purification, gas separation, and catalysis, among others. Nonetheless, these materials are usually synthetized as powders and need to be shaped in a more practical way that does not modify their intrinsic property (i.e., porosity). Elaborating porous, freestanding and flexible sheets is a relevant shaping strategy. However, when high loadings (>70 wt.%) are achieved the mechanical properties are challenged. A new straightforward and green method involving the combination softwood bleached kraft pulp fibers (S) and nano-fibrillated cellulose (NFC) is reported, where S provides flexibility while NFC acts as a micro-structuring and mechanical reinforcement agent to form high loadings porous solids paper sheets (>70 wt.%). The composite has unobstructed porosity and good mechanical strength. The sheets prepared with various fillers (MOFs, ACs, and zeolites) can be rolled, handled, and adapted to different uses, such as air purification. As an example of potential application, a MOF paper composite has been considered for the capture of polar volatile organic compounds exhibiting better performance than beads and granules.

Nanocelluloses as sustainable membrane materials for separation and filtration technologies: Principles, opportunities, and challenges

Membrane technology is of great interest in various environmental and industrial applications, where membranes are used to separate different mixtures of gas, solid-gas, liquid-gas, liquid-liquid, or liquid-solid. In this context, nanocellulose (NC) membranes can be produced with predefined properties for specific separation and filtration technologies. This review explains the use of nanocellulose membranes as a direct, effective, and sustainable way to solve environmental and industrial problems. The different types of nanocellulose (i.e., nanoparticles, nanocrystals, nanofibers) and their fabrication methods (i.e., mechanical, physical, chemical, mechanochemical, physicochemical, and biological) are discussed. In particular, the structural properties of nanocellulose membranes (i.e., mechanical strength, interactions with various fluids, biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, and biodegradability) are reviewed in relation to membrane performances. Advanced applications of nanocellulose membranes in reverse osmosis (RO), microfiltration (MF), nanofiltration (NF), and ultrafiltration (UF) are highlighted. The applications of nanocellulose membranes offer significant advantages as a key technology for air purification, gas separation, and water treatment, including suspended or soluble solids removal, desalination, or liquid removal using pervaporation membranes or electrically driven membranes. This review will cover the current state of research, future prospects, and challenges in commercializing nanocellulose membranes with respect to membrane applications.

Assessment of Melt Compounding with Zeolites as an Effective Deodorization Strategy for Mixed Plastic Wastes and Comparison with Degassing

The emission of off-odors from mechanically recycled plastics severely limits their re-introduction into the market for the production of new objects, for the same use or even for less demanding applications, thus hindering the implementation of an effective circular economy for plastics. The addition of adsorbing agents during the extrusion of polymers represents one of the most promising strategy to reduce the odorous emissions of plastics, due to its characteristics of cost-effectiveness, flexibility and low energy consumption. The novelty of this work lies in the assessment of zeolites as VOC adsorbents during the extrusion of recycled plastics. They appear more suitable than other types of adsorbents, due to their ability to capture and "hold" the adsorbed substances at the high temperatures of the extrusion process. Moreover, the effectiveness of this deodorization strategy was compared with the traditional degassing technique. Two types of mixed polyolefin wastes, coming from completely different collection and recycling processes, were tested: Fil-S (Film-Small), deriving from post-consumer flexible films of small size, and PW (pulper waste), which is the residual plastic waste obtained from the paper recycling process. The melt compounding of the recycled materials with two micrometric zeolites (zeolite 13X and Z310) resulted as more effective in the off-odors removal with respect to degassing. In particular, the highest reduction (-45%) of the Average Odor Intensity (AOI) was measured for both PW/Z310 and Fil-S/13X systems at 4 wt% of the zeolites' amount, compared with the corresponding untreated recyclates. Finally, by combining degassing and melt compounding with zeolites, the best result was obtained for the composite Fil-S/13X, whose Average Odor Intensity resulted as quite close (+22%) to the one of the virgin LDPE.

The Increase of Soft Cheese Shelf-Life Packaged with Edible Films Based on Novel Hybrid Nanostructures

This study presents, the development of a green method to produce rich in thymol natural zeolite (TO@NZ) nanostructures. This material was used to prepare sodium-alginate/glycerol/xTO@NZ (ALG/G/TO@NZ) nanocomposite active films for the packaging of soft cheese to extend its shelf-life. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) instruments were used for the characterization of such nanostructures and films, to identify the thymol adsorbed amount, to investigate the thermal behaviour, and to confirm the dispersion of nanostructure powder into the polymer matrix. Water vapor transmission rate, oxygen permeation analyzer, tensile measurements, antioxidant measurements, and antimicrobial measurements were used to estimate the film’s water and oxygen barrier, mechanical properties, nanostructure’s nanoreinforcement activity, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The findings from the study revealed that ALG/G/TO@NZ nanocomposite film could be used as an active packaging film for foods with enhanced, mechanical properties, oxygen and water barrier, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, and it is capable of extending food shelf-life.

Grafting of Poly(ethylene imine) to Silica Nanoparticles for Odor Removal from Recycled Materials

One of the major obstacles to the reuse of recycled plastic materials is the emanation of after-process odors from recycled polymers and composites. Typically, recycled polymers are blended with an off-odor adsorbent additive in the recycling chain to eliminate these smells. This article describes an innovative ultrasonically assisted method of grafting poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) to silica nanoparticles (SiO₂) initiated by benzoyl peroxide (BP) which acts as an odor remover. To prepare the PEI/Si, the branched PEI was grafted onto the silica surface without a coupling agent. This made the grafting process straightforward, easy and low in cost. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis confirmed the successful grafting of PEI to silica. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated the formation of two different fractions: a polymeric fraction covalently attached to the nanoparticle surface and a non-grafted PEI fraction that was removed during extraction. Up to 30% of the grafted-PEI fractions were produced at the lowest BP concentration with the highest PEI molecular weight at silica-to-PEI weight ratios of (1:1) to (3:1). The sensory assessment showed a substantial reduction in overall odor intensity for 30% of the recycled plastic-containing materials and a ~75% reduction in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for 100% of the recycled plastics. These results strongly suggest that this innovative PEI/Si nanocomposite can be successfully commercialized for odor removal. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first reported work describing a one-pot reaction for grafting PEI to different nanoparticle surfaces.

Role of nanocellulose in industrial and pharmaceutical sectors - A review

Lignocellulosic biomass from agricultural residues serves as the critical component to replace synthetic polymeric materials in the coming future. Agricultural residues can be used to obtain cellulose by delignification followed by bleaching. Further, cellulose is converted into nanocellulose by various methods. Nanocellulose is used in multiple pharmaceutical applications as a polymer in hydrogels, transdermal drug delivery systems, aerogels, wound healing dressing materials, as superdisintegrants in fast dissolving tablets, emulgel, microparticles, gels, foams, thickening agents, stabilizers, cosmetics, medical implants, tissue engineering, liposomes, food and composites, etc. This review provides detailed knowledge about the nature of nanocellulose regarding its high surface area, high polymerization, loading, and binding capacity of hydrophilic and hydrophobic active pharmaceutical ingredients and significance of various applications of nanocellulose. Biocompatible and non-toxic, it makes it an ideal material for applications in the biomedical field. A significant advantage is a biocompatibility, which is non-toxic for many biomedical applications.

Zeolite-Polymer Composite Materials as Water Scavenger

The influence of the charge compensating cation nature (Na+, Mg2+) on the water adsorption properties of LTA-type zeolites used as filler in composite materials (zeolite/polymers) was investigated. Large scale cation exchanges were performed on zeolite powder at 80 °C for 2 h using 1 M magnesium chloride (MgCl2) aqueous solutions. XRF, ICP, and EDX analyses indicate a successful cationic exchange process without the modification of the zeolite structure as shown by XRD and solid-state NMR analyses. Composite materials (granulates and molded parts) were manufactured using to extrusion and injection processes. In the case of MgA zeolite, nitrogen adsorption-desorption experiments allowed us to measure a microporous volume, unlike NaA zeolite, which is non-porous to nitrogen probe molecule. SEM and EDX analyses highlighted the homogeneous distribution of zeolite crystals into the polymer matrix. Water adsorption capacities confirmed that the trends observed in the zeolite powder samples are preserved after dragging zeolites into composite formulations. Granulates and molded parts composite samples containing the magnesium exchanged zeolite showed an increase of their water adsorption capacity up to +27% in comparison to composite samples containing the non-exchanged zeolite. The MgA composite is more promising for water decontamination applications due to its higher water adsorption properties than the NaA composite.

Evaluation of the Impact of Different Natural Zeolite Treatments on the Capacity of Eliminating/Reducing Odors and Toxic Compounds

Unlike odorants that mask odors, natural zeolite acts as a molecular sieve that captures and eliminates odors. Different treatment methods can be applied to influence the properties of the natural zeolites. To enhance the odor adsorption capacities of the natural zeolite two types of treatment methods were applied: chemical (acid, basic) and thermal. The initial natural zeolites and the activated one were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDX). Two experiments were performed to establish the odor adsorption capacity of the activated natural zeolites. The best zeolite for the adsorption of humidity, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide was the 1-3 mm zeolite activated through thermal treatment. For the adsorption of PAHs, the best zeolite was the one activated through basic treatment, with an adsorption capacity of 89.6 ng/g.

A novel nanocomposite based on covalent organic polymer and nanocellulose for thin-film microextraction of imipramine from biological samples

A novel covalent organic polymer was prepared using 1,5-diaminonaphthalene as a linker and cyanuric chloride as a node. A thin-film nanocomposite of 1,5-diaminonaphthalene covalent organic polymer and cellulose nanocrystalline was then fabricated via filtering and casting method. The effect of incorporation of various amounts of 1,5-diaminonaphthalene covalent organic polymer and cellulose nanocrystalline was studied to obtain an efficient nanocomposite thin-film with a large number of polar functional groups and high mechanical stability. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and thermogravimetric analysis techniques were applied for the characterization of physicochemical properties of the prepared materials. Imipramine was determined in the biological samples using thin-film microextraction followed by gas chromatography flame ionization detection. Parameters affecting the extraction efficiency of imipramine were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, the limit of detection was 0.5 ng/mL. Film-to-film reproducibility for three different films fabricated under the same conditions (at three concentration levels) varied between 8.9 and 9.7%. The linear dynamic range covered more than three orders of magnitude (2-5000 ng/mL) with a determination coefficient of 0.9985. The method was successfully applied for preconcentration and determination of imipramine in biological samples with spiking recoveries between 78 and 93%.

A Review on the Life Cycle Assessment of Cellulose: From Properties to the Potential of Making It a Low Carbon Material

The huge plastic production and plastic pollution are considered important global issues due to environmental aspects. One practical and efficient way to address them is to replace fossil-based plastics with natural-based materials, such as cellulose. The applications of different cellulose products have recently received increasing attention because of their desirable properties, such as biodegradability and sustainability. In this regard, the current study initially reviews cellulose products' properties in three categories, including biopolymers based on the cellulose-derived monomer, cellulose fibers and their derivatives, and nanocellulose. The available life cycle assessments (LCA) for cellulose were comprehensively reviewed and classified at all the stages, including extraction of cellulose in various forms, manufacturing, usage, and disposal. Finally, due to the development of low-carbon materials in recent years and the importance of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, the proposed solutions to make cellulose a low carbon material were made. The optimization of the cellulose production process, such as the recovery of excessive solvents and using by-products as inputs for other processes, seem to be the most important step toward making it a low carbon material.

Nanofibrillar networks enable universal assembly of superstructured particle constructs

Superstructured colloidal materials exploit the synergies between components to develop new or enhanced functions. Cohesion is a primary requirement for scaling up these assemblies into bulk materials, and it has only been fulfilled in case-specific bases. Here, we demonstrate that the topology of nanonetworks formed from cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) enables robust superstructuring with virtually any particle. An intermixed network of fibrils with particles increases the toughness of the assemblies by up to three orders of magnitude compared, for instance, to sintering. Supramolecular cohesion is transferred from the fibrils to the constructs following a power law, with a constant decay factor for particle sizes from 230 nm to 40 μm. Our findings are applicable to other nanofiber dimensions via a rationalization of the morphological aspects of both particles and nanofibers. CNF-based cohesion will move developments of functional colloids from laboratory-scale toward their implementation in large-scale nanomanufacturing of bulk materials.

An investigation on the capability of magnetically separable Fe3O4/mordenite zeolite for refinery oily wastewater purification

Damage to the water resources and environment as a consequence of oil production and use of fossil fuels, has increased the need for applying various technologies and developing effective materials to remove contaminates from oily wastewaters resources. One of the challenges for an economic industrial wastewater treatment is separation and reusability of the developed purifying agents. Development of magnetic materials could potentially facilitate easier and more economic separation of purifying agents. Therefore, herein we have synthesised an efficient and easily recyclable Fe₃O₄/mordenite zeolite using a hydrothermal process to investigate its purification capability for wastewater from Kermanshah oil refinery. The synthesised Fe₃O₄/mordenite zeolite was characterised using XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX, XRF and BET analysis. XRD result showed that the synthesised Fe₃O₄/mordenite zeolite comprised sodium aluminium silicate hydrate phase [01-072-7919, Na₈(Al₆Si₃₀O₇₂)(H₂O)_9.04] and cubic iron oxide phase [04-013-9808, Fe₃O₄]. Response Surface Method (RSM) combined with Central Composite Design (CCD) was used to identify the optimum operation parameters of the pollutant removal process. The effect of pH, contact time and Fe₃O₄/mordenite zeolite amount on the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) were investigated. It was found that pH was the most significant factor influencing COD and BOD removal but the quantity of Fe₃O₄/mordenite zeolite was the most influential factor on the turbidity removal capacity. The optimum removal process conditions were identified to be pH of 7.81, contact time of 15.8 min and Fe₃O₄/mordenite zeolite amount of 0.52% w/w. The results show that the regenerated Fe₃O₄/mordenite zeolite can be reused for five consecutive cycles in purification of petroleum wastes.

Versatile Application of Nanocellulose: From Industry to Skin Tissue Engineering and Wound Healing

Nanocellulose is cellulose in the form of nanostructures, i.e., features not exceeding 100 nm at least in one dimension. These nanostructures include nanofibrils, found in bacterial cellulose; nanofibers, present particularly in electrospun matrices; and nanowhiskers, nanocrystals, nanorods, and nanoballs. These structures can be further assembled into bigger two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) nano-, micro-, and macro-structures, such as nanoplatelets, membranes, films, microparticles, and porous macroscopic matrices. There are four main sources of nanocellulose: bacteria (Gluconacetobacter), plants (trees, shrubs, herbs), algae (Cladophora), and animals (Tunicata). Nanocellulose has emerged for a wide range of industrial, technology, and biomedical applications, namely for adsorption, ultrafiltration, packaging, conservation of historical artifacts, thermal insulation and fire retardation, energy extraction and storage, acoustics, sensorics, controlled drug delivery, and particularly for tissue engineering. Nanocellulose is promising for use in scaffolds for engineering of blood vessels, neural tissue, bone, cartilage, liver, adipose tissue, urethra and dura mater, for repairing connective tissue and congenital heart defects, and for constructing contact lenses and protective barriers. This review is focused on applications of nanocellulose in skin tissue engineering and wound healing as a scaffold for cell growth, for delivering cells into wounds, and as a material for advanced wound dressings coupled with drug delivery, transparency and sensorics. Potential cytotoxicity and immunogenicity of nanocellulose are also discussed.

Effective and Selective Trapping of Volatile Organic Sulfur Derivatives by Montmorillonite Intercalated with a μ-oxo Fe(III)-Phenanthroline Complex

The μ-oxo Fe(III)-phenanthroline complex [(OH₂)₃(Phen)FeOFe(Phen) (OH₂)₃]⁺⁴ intercalated in montmorillonite provides a stable hybrid material. In this study, the ability and efficiency of this material to immobilize thiols in gas phase, acting as a trap at the solid-gas interface, were investigated. Aliphatic thiols containing both hydrophilic and hydrophobic end groups were chosen to test the selectivity of this gas trap. DR-UV-vis, IR, elemental analysis, thermal analysis and evolved gas mass spectrometry, X-ray powder diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy techniques were employed to characterize the hybrid material before and after thiol exposure and to provide information on the entrapping process. Thiol immobilization is very large, up to 21% w/w for heptanethiol. In addition, evidence was obtained that immobilization occurs through the formation of a covalent bond between the iron of the complex and the sulfur of the thiol. This provides an immobilization process characterized by a higher stability with respect to the methods based on physi-adsorption. Thiol immobilization resulted thermally reversible at least for 20 adsorption/desorption cycles. Unlike standard desulfurization processes like hydrotreating and catalytic oxidation which work at high temperatures and pressures, the present system is able to efficiently trap thiols at room temperature and pressure, thus saving energy. Furthermore, we found that the selectivity of thiol immobilization can be tuned acting on the amount of complex intercalated in montmorillonite. In particular, montmorillonite semisaturated with the complex captures both hydrophobic and hydrophilic thiols, while the saturated montmorillonite shows a strong selectivity toward the hydrophobic molecules.