Fabrication of Reusable Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Graphene Oxide Composite Aerogel with Large Surface Area for Adsorption of Methylene Blue

Artificial neural network modelling and experimental investigations of malachite green adsorption on novel carboxymethyl cellulose/β-cyclodextrin/nickel cobaltite composite

This study presents a novel polymer nanocomposite based on carboxymethyl cellulose and β-cyclodextrin crosslinked with succinic acid (CMC-SA-β-CD) containing nickel cobaltite (NCO) nano-reinforcement. Various analytical techniques have been employed to investigate the structural, thermal, and morphological features of the resulting nanocomposite. The CMC-SA-β-CD/NCO nanocomposite has been utilized as an adsorbent for the removal of bisphenol-A (BPA, R% <40 %), malachite green (MG, R% > 75 %)), and Congo red (CR, no adsorption) from the synthetic wastewater. The study systematically explored the impact of various parameters on the adsorption process, and the interactions between MG and CMC-SA-β-CD/NCO were discussed. The adsorption data were fitted to different models to elucidate the kinetics and thermodynamics of the adsorption process. An artificial neural network (ANN) analysis was employed to train the experimental dataset for predicting adsorption outcomes. Despite a low BET surface area (0.798 m2 g-1), CMC-SA-β-CD/NCO was found to exhibit high MG adsorption capacity. CMC-SA-β-CD/NCO exhibited better MG adsorption performance at pH 5.5, 40 mg L-1 MG dye concentration, 170 min equilibrium time, 20 mg CMC-SA-β-CD/NCO dose with more than 90 % removal efficiency. Moreover, the thermodynamic studies suggest that the adsorption of MG was exothermic with ΔH° value -9.93 ± 0.76 kJ mol-1. The isotherm studies revealed that the Langmuir model was the best model to describe the adsorption of MG on CMC-SA-β-CD/NCO indicating monolayer surface coverage with Langmuir adsorption capacity of 182 ± 4 mg g-1. The energy of adsorption (11.4 ± 0.8 kJ mol-1) indicated chemisorption of MG on the composite surface. The kinetics studies revealed that the pseudo-first-order model best described the adsorption kinetics with q e  = 86.7 ± 2.9 mg g-1. A good removal efficiency (>70 %) was retained after five regeneration reuse cycles. The ANN-trained data showed good linearity between predicted and actual data for the adsorption capacity (R-value>0.99), indicating the reliability of the prediction model. The developed nanocomposite, composed predominantly of biodegradable material, is facile to synthesize and exhibited excellent monolayer adsorption of MG providing a new sustainable adsorbent for selective MG removal.

Graphene aerogels as efficient adsorbers of water pollutants and their effect of drying methods

Environmental accidents highlight the need for the development of efficient materials that can be employed to eliminate pollutants including crude oil and its derivatives, as well as toxic organic solvents. In recent years, a wide variety of advanced materials has been investigated to assist in the purification process of environmentally compromised regions, with the principal contestants being graphene-based structures. This study describes the synthesis of graphene aerogels with two methods and determines their efficiency as adsorbents of several water pollutants. The main difference between the two synthesis routes is the use of freeze-drying in the first case, and ambient pressure drying in the latter. Raman spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle measurements are employed here for the characterisation of the samples. The as-prepared aerogels have been found to act as photocatalysts of aqueous dye solutions like methylene blue and Orange G, while they were also evaluated as adsorbents of organic solvents (acetone, ethanol and methanol), and, oils like pump oil, castor oil, silicone oil, as well. The results presented here show that the freeze-drying approach provides materials with better adsorption efficiency for the most of the examined pollutants, however, the energy and cost-saving advantages of ambient-pressure-drying could offset the adsorption advantages of the former case.

Electrochemical Regeneration of Highly Stable and Sustainable Cellulose/Graphene Adsorbent Saturated with Dissolved Organic Dye

Electrochemical regeneration of adsorbents presents a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach. Yet, its application to 3D structured adsorbents such as cellulose/graphene-based aerogels remains largely unexplored. This study introduces a method for producing these aerogels, highlighting their significant adsorption capacity for dissolved organic pollutants and resilience during electrochemical regeneration. By adjusting the ratio of hydrophobized cellulose nanofibers to graphene, the aerogels demonstrate a tunable adsorption capacity, ranging from 56 to 228 mg/g. Hydrophobization using oleic acid is vital for maintaining the aerogels' structural stability in water. Notably, the aerogels maintain structural integrity and efficiency over at least 18 electrochemical regeneration cycles, underscoring their potential for long-term environmental applications. The increase in adsorption capacity observed after regeneration cycles, approximately 10-20% by the fifth cycle, is attributed to electrochemical surface roughening and the creation of new adsorption sites. The tunability and durability of these aerogels offer a sustainable solution for adsorption with electrochemical regeneration technology.

Recent advances and future perspective on lignocellulose-based materials as adsorbents in diverse water treatment applications

The growing shortage of non-renewable resources and the burden of toxic pollutants in water have gradually become stumbling blocks in the path of sustainable human development. To this end, there has been great interest in finding renewable and environmentally friendly materials to promote environmental sustainability and combat harmful pollutants in wastewater. Of the many options, lignocellulose, as an abundant, biocompatible and renewable material, is the most attractive candidate for water remediation due to the unique physical and chemical properties of its constituents. Herein, we review the latest research advances in lignocellulose-based adsorbents, focusing on lignocellulosic composition, material modification, application of adsorbents. The modification and preparation methods of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose and their applications in the treatment of diverse contaminated water are systematically and comprehensively presented. Also, the detailed description of the adsorption model, the adsorption mechanism and the adsorbent regeneration technique provides an excellent reference for understanding the underlying adsorption mechanism and the adsorbent recycling. Finally, the challenges and limitations of lignocellulosic adsorbents are evaluated from a practical application perspective, and future developments in the related field are discussed. In summary, this review offers rational insights to develop lignocellulose-based environmentally-friendly reactive materials for the removal of hazardous aquatic contaminants.

Development of carboxymethyl cellulose-graphene oxide biobased composite for the removal of methylene blue cationic dye model contaminate from wastewater

Utilizing Glutaraldehyde crosslinked sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-GA) hydrogel and its nanographene oxide composite (CMC-GA-GOx), an effective carboxymethyl cellulose-graphene oxide biobased composites adsorbent was developed for the adsorption removal of methylene blue (MB) cationic dye contaminate from industrial wastewater. The CMC-GA-GOx composites developed were characterized using FTIR, RAMAN, TGA, SEM, and EDX analysis instruments. Through batch experiments, several variables affecting the removal of MB dye, including the biocomposites GO:CMC composition, adsorption time, pH and temperature, initial MB concentration, adsorbent dosage, and NaCl concentration, were investigated under different conditions. The maximum dye removal percentages ranged between 93 and 98%. They were obtained using biocomposites CMC-GA-GO102 with 20% GO weight percent, adsorption time 25 min, adsorption temperature 25 °C, MB concentrations 10-30 ppm, adsorption pH 7.0, and 0.2 g adsorbent dose. The experimental data of the adsorption process suit the Langmuir isotherm more closely with a maximal monolayer adsorption capacity of 76.92 mg/g. The adsorption process followed the kinetic model of pseudo-second order. The removal of MB was exothermic and spontaneous from a thermodynamic standpoint. In addition, thermodynamic results demonstrated that adsorption operates most effectively at low temperatures. Finally, the reusability of the developed CMC-GA-GO102 has been proved through 10 successive cycles where only 14% of the MB dye removal percentage was lost. These results suggest that the developed CMC-GA-GO102 composite may be an inexpensive and reusable adsorbent for removing organic cationic dyes from industrial wastewater.

Nano/micro-cellulose-based materials as remarkable sorbents for the remediation of agricultural resources from chemical pollutants

Overusing pesticides, fertilizers, and synthetic dyes has significantly increased their presence in various parts of the environment. The transportation of these pollutants into agricultural soil and water through rivers, soils, and groundwater has seriously threatened human and ecosystem health. Applying techniques and materials to clean up agricultural sources from pesticides, heavy metals (HMs), and synthetic dyes (SDs) is one of the major challenges in this century. The sorption technique offers a viable solution to remediate these chemical pollutants (CHPs). Cellulose-based materials have become popular in nano and micro scales because they are widely available, safe to use, biodegradable, and have a significant ability to absorb substances. Nanoscale cellulose-based materials exhibit greater capacity in absorbing pollutants compared to their microscale counterparts because they possess a larger surface area. Many available hydroxyl groups (-OH) and chemical and physical modifications enable the incorporation of CHPs on to cellulose-based materials. Following this potential, this review aims to comprehensively summarize recent advancements in the field of nano- and micro-cellulose-based materials as effective adsorbents for CHPs, given the abundance of cellulosic waste materials from agricultural residues. The recent developments pertaining to the enhancement of the sorption capacity of cellulose-based materials against pesticides, HMs, and SDs, are deliberated.

Magnetic Ionotropic Hydrogels Based on Carboxymethyl Cellulose for Aqueous Pollution Mitigation

In this work, stabilized ionotropic hydrogels were designed using sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and assessed as inexpensive sorbents for hazardous chemicals (e.g., Methylene Blue, MB) from contaminated wastewaters. In order to increase the adsorption capacity of the hydrogelated matrix and facilitate its magnetic separation from aqueous solutions, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and manganese ferrite (MnFe₂O₄) were introduced into the polymer framework. The morphological, structural, elemental, and magnetic properties of the adsorbents (in the form of beads) were assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and a vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM). The magnetic beads with the best adsorption performance were subjected to kinetic and isotherm studies. The PFO model best describes the adsorption kinetics. A homogeneous monolayer adsorption system was predicted by the Langmuir isotherm model, registering a maximum adsorption capacity of 234 mg/g at 300 K. The calculated thermodynamic parameter values indicated that the investigated adsorption processes were both spontaneous (ΔG < 0) and exothermic (ΔH < 0). The used sorbent can be recovered after immersion in acetone (93% desorption efficiency) and re-used for MB adsorption. In addition, the molecular docking simulations disclosed aspects of the mechanism of intermolecular interaction between CMC and MB by detailing the contributions of the van der Waals (physical) and Coulomb (electrostatic) forces.

The versatility of nanocellulose, modification strategies, and its current progress in wastewater treatment and environmental remediation

Deterioration in the environmental ecosystems through the depletion of nonrenewable resources and the burden of deleterious contaminants is considered a global concern. To this end, great interest has been shown in the use of renewable and environmentally-friendly reactive materials dually to promote environmental sustainability and cope with harmful contaminants. Among the different available options, the use of nanocellulose (NC) as an environmentally benign and renewable natural nanomaterial is an attractive candidate for environmental remediation owing to its miraculous physicochemical characteristics. This review discusses the intrinsic properties and the structural aspects of different types of NC, including cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), and bacterial cellulose (BC) or bacterial nanocellulose (BNC). Also, the different modification strategies involving the functionalization or hybridization of NC by using different functional and reactive materials aimed at wastewater remediation have been elaborated. The modified or hybridized NC has been explored for its applications in the removal or degradation of aquatic contaminants through adsorption, filtration, coagulation, catalysis, photocatalysis, and pollutant sensing. This review highlights the role of NC in the modified composites and describes the underlying mechanisms involved in the removal of contaminants. The life-cycle assessment (LCA) of NC is discussed to unveil the hidden risks associated with its production to the final disposal. Moreover, the contribution of NC in the promotion of waste management at different stages has been described in the form of the five-Rs strategy. In summary, this review provides rational insights to develop NC-based environmentally-friendly reactive materials for the removal and degradation of hazardous aquatic contaminants.

Graphene oxide modified with carboxymethyl cellulose for high adsorption capacities towards Nd(III) and Ce(III) from aqueous solutions

This work addresses a simple method to functionalize graphene oxide with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose using tetraethyl orthosilicate as a linker for rapid and significant removal of Nd(III) and Ce(III) from aqueous solutions. The prepared composite (GO–CMC) was characterized by different techniques to confirm the modification and adsorption process. The sorption performance of the GO–CMC was evaluated using Nd(III) and Ce(III) as absorbent materials. The experimental results demonstrated that the sorption process was excellently fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption results were also analyzed by different isotherm models. According to the Langmuir isotherm model, the experimental sorption capacities at pH 3.0 was 661.21 and 436.55 mg/g for Nd(III) and Ce(III), respectively. The thermodynamic results indicated that the sorption process of the two examined metal ions was endothermic and spontaneous. The regenerated GO–CMC composite has a similar removal percentage to the original composite. These results confirmed that the prepared composite (GO–CMC) could be used as an effective adsorbent for Nd(III) and Ce(III) from certain multielement solutions.

Preparation of Bio-Based Aerogel and Its Adsorption Properties for Organic Dyes

The effective utilization of biomass and the purification of dye wastewater are urgent problems. In this study, a biomass aerogel (CaCO3@starch/polyacrylamide/TEMPO-oxidized nanocellulose, CaCO3@STA/PAM/TOCN) was prepared by combining nanocellulose with starch and introducing calcium carbonate nanoparticles, which exhibited a rich three-dimensional layered porous structure with a very light mass. Starch and nanocellulose can be grafted onto the molecular chain of acrylamide, while calcium carbonate nanopores can make the gel pore size uniform and have excellent swelling properties. Here, various factors affecting the adsorption behavior of this aerogel, such as pH, contact time, ambient temperature, and initial concentration, are investigated. From the kinetic data, it can be obtained that the adsorption process fits well with the pseudo-second-order. The Langmuir isotherm model can fit the equilibrium data well. The thermodynamic data also demonstrated the spontaneous and heat-absorbing properties of anionic and cationic dyes on CaCO3@STA/PAM/TOCN aerogels. The adsorption capacity of Congo red (CR) and methylene blue (MB) by CaCO3@STA/PAM/TOCN was 277.76 mg/g and 101.01 mg/g, respectively. Therefore, cellulose and starch-based aerogels can be considered promising adsorbents for the treatment of dye wastewater.

Multi-step preparation of Fe and Si modified biochar derived from waterworks sludge towards methylene blue adsorption

A magnetic nitrogen-doped sludge-based biochar (NAlSB-Fe-Si) was prepared based on waterworks sludge for raw material and dicyandiamide for nitrogen source to adsorb methylene blue (MB) from water. And the magnetic particles loaded on the adsorbent were obtained through functionalizing iron and silicon ions which were extracted from the biochar by acid and alkali impregnation. Physicochemical properties of sludge-based biochar (SB) were analyzed by SEM, BET, FTIR, XRD, XPS and VSM. Compared with the original biochar, NAlSB-Fe-Si had richer pore structure and higher pore volume, and the SiO₂ and Fe₃O₄ loading made the specific surface area increased by 200%. Possible adsorption mechanism was proposed by exploring the initial pH, MB concentration and reaction time. Results revealed that alkaline environment was more conducive to the rapid removal of cationic dyes such as MB. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model and intra-particle diffusion model could describe the adsorption behavior of MB on NAlSB-Fe-Si. The fitting results of Langmuir model showed that adsorption temperature is positively correlated with adsorption capacity, and the maximum adsorption capacity of MB on nitrogen-doped sludge-based biochar (NSB) and NAlSB-Fe-Si at 25 °C was 26.47 and 300.36 mg/g, respectively. Finally, the MB removal rate of NAlSB-Fe-Si could still reach 70% after four cycles, indicating that the composite was an efficient cationic dye adsorbent, and its preparation could be regarded as a way of resource utilization of waterworks sludge.

The Synthesis of Magnetic Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite for the Removal of Reactive Orange 12 Dye

Herein, we report the nanofabrication of magnetic calcium ferrite (CaFe2O4) with nitrogen-doped graphene oxide (N-GO) via facile ultrasonication method to produce CaFe2O4/N-GO nanocomposite for the potential removal of reactive orange 12 (RO12) dye from aqueous solution. The successful construction of the nanocomposite was confirmed using different characterization techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The magnetic properties were studied using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) indicating ferromagnetic behavior of the synthesized materials that facilitate their separation using an external magnetic field after adsorption treatment. The addition of N-GO to CaFe2O4 nanoparticles enhanced the BET surface area from 24 to 52.93 m2/g as resulted from the N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm. The adsorption of the synthesized nanomaterials is controlled by several parameters (initial concentration of dye, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and pH), and the RO12 dye removal on the surface of CaFe2O4 nanoparticles and CaFe2O4/N-GO nanocomposite was reached through the chemisorption process as indicated from the kinetic study. The adsorption isotherm study indicated that the adsorption process of RO12 dye was best described through the Langmuir isotherm approving the monolayer adsorption. According to the Langmuir model, the maximum adsorption capacity for RO12 was 250 and 333.33 mg/g for CaFe2O4 nanoparticles and CaFe2O4/N-GO nanocomposite, respectively. The adsorption capacity offered by CaFe2O4/N-GO nanocomposite was higher than reported in the literature for adsorbent materials. Additionally, the regeneration study indicated that CaFe2O4/N-GO nanocomposite is reusable and cost-effective adsorbent. Therefore, the nanofabricated CaFe2O4/N-GO hybrid material is a promising adsorbent for water treatment.

Nanocellulose and Graphene Oxide Aerogels for Adsorption and Removal Methylene Blue from an Aqueous Environment

The characteristics of aerogel materials such as the low density and large surface area enable them to adsorb large amounts of substances, so they show great potential for application in industrial wastewater treatment. Herein, using a combination of completely environmentally friendly materials such as cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) extracted from the petioles of the nipa palm tree and graphene oxide (GO) fabricated by simple solvent evaporation, a composite aerogel was prepared by a freeze-drying method. The obtained aerogel possessed a light density of 0.0264 g/cm3 and a porosity of more than 98.2%. It was able to withstand a weight as much as 2500 times with the maximum force (1479.5 N) to break up 0.2 g of an aerogel by compression strength testing and was stable in the aquatic environment, enabling it to be reused five times with an adsorption capacity over 90%. The CNF/GO aerogel can recover higher than 85% after 30 consecutive compression recovery cycles, which is convenient for the reusability of this material in wastewater treatments. The obtained aerogel also showed a good interaction between the component phases, a high thermal stability, a 3D network structure combined with thin walls and pores with a large specific surface area. In addition, the aerogel also exhibited a fast adsorption rate for methylene blue (MB) adsorption, a type of waste from the textile industry that pollutes water sources, and it can adsorb more than 99% MB in water in less than 20 min. The excellent adsorption of MB onto the CNF/GO aerogel was driven by electrostatic interactions, which agreed with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model with a correlation coefficient R 2 = 0.9978. The initial results show that the CNF/GO aerogel is a highly durable "green" light material that might be applied in the treatment of domestic organic waste water and is completely recoverable and reusable.

High Selectivity and Reusability of Biomass-Based Adsorbent for Chloramphenicol Removal

Recently, biomass-based materials have attracted increasing attention because of their advantages of low cost, environment-friendly and nonpollution. Herein, the feasibility of using corn stalk biomass fiber (CF) and Fe₃O₄ embedded chitosan (CS) as a novel biomass-based adsorbent (CFS) to remove chloramphenicol (CAPC) from aqueous solution. Structure of CFS was characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and zeta potential techniques. The effects of solution pH, adsorption time and ion strength on the adsorption capacity were examined. Adsorption isotherms obtained from batch experiments were better fitted by Langmuir model compared with Freundlich model, Dubinin–Radushkevich model and Temkin model. Adsorption kinetic data matched well to the pseudo-second order kinetic model. CAPC adsorption was endothermic, spontaneous, and entropy-increasing nature on CFS. In addition, the CFS could be separated by an external magnetic field, recycled, and reused without any significant loss in the adsorption capacity of CAPC. Based on these excellent performances, there is potential that CFS can be considered as a proficient and economically suitable material for the CAPC removal from the water environment.

Vitamin C-Assisted Fabrication of Aerogels from Industrial Graphene Oxide for Gaseous Hexamethyldisiloxane Adsorption

Volatile methyl siloxanes (VMSs) as a trace impurity in biogas decreases its energy utilization, and thus need to be removed. In this paper, a one-step hydrothermal reduction was performed to produce three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide aerogels (rGOAs) using industrial-grade graphene oxide (IGGO) as raw material and vitamin C (VC) as a reductant to facilitate the fabrication of rGOAs. The synthesis of rGOAs was a simple, green, and energy-efficient process. The developed rGOAs were characterized using the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, Raman spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction measurements and contact angle. The results obtained showed that rGOA-1 with a VC/IGGO ratio of 1/1 (m/m) exhibited a hierarchical porous structure and super-hydrophobicity, yielding a high specific surface area (137.9 m2 g−1) and superior water contact angle (143.8°). The breakthrough adsorption capacity of rGOA-1 for hexamethyldisiloxane (L2, a VMS model) was 11 times higher than that of IGGO. Low inlet concentration and bed temperature were considered beneficial for the L2 adsorption. Interestingly, rGOA-1 was less sensitive to water, and it was readily regenerated for reuse by annealing at 80 °C. The rGOAs have been demonstrated to have great potential for the removal of siloxanes from biogas.