Emerging Developments Regarding Nanocellulose-Based Membrane Filtration Material against Microbes

Abstract

The wide availability and diversity of dangerous microbes poses a considerable problem for health professionals and in the development of new healthcare products. Numerous studies have been conducted to develop membrane filters that have antibacterial properties to solve this problem. Without proper protective filter equipment, healthcare providers, essential workers, and the general public are exposed to the risk of infection. A combination of nanotechnology and biosorption is expected to offer a new and greener approach to improve the usefulness of polysaccharides as an advanced membrane filtration material. Nanocellulose is among the emerging materials of this century and several studies have proven its use in filtering microbes. Its high specific surface area enables the adsorption of various microbial species, and its innate porosity can separate various molecules and retain microbial objects. Besides this, the presence of an abundant OH groups in nanocellulose grants its unique surface modification, which can increase its filtration efficiency through the formation of affinity interactions toward microbes. In this review, an update of the most relevant uses of nanocellulose as a new class of membrane filters against microbes is outlined. Key advancements in surface modifications of nanocellulose to enhance its rejection mechanism are also critically discussed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review focusing on the development of nanocellulose as a membrane filter against microbes.

Monomers and Macromolecular Materials from Renewable Resources: State of the Art and Perspectives

“…Because of their very high water affinity coupled with large surface-to-volume ratios, nanocelluloses form self-sustained gels with as little as 2% solid and find applications in many fields [ 6 ]. Apart from the obvious possibility of remodeling the current food packaging scenario by taking advantage of the outstanding properties of nanocelluloses [ 34 ], recent contributions demonstrate that they appear as favorable candidates for the design of hydrogels and cryogels [ 35 ], including those that exhibit electric conductive properties [ 36 ], of gas barrier [ 37 ] and membrane filtration materials [ 38 ], of supercapacitors [ 33 ], of photoremediation agents for contaminated environments [ 39 ], of oil and gas production green additives, especially in enhanced oil recovery and hydraulic fracturing applications [ 40 ], and of novel biomedical systems, as for targeted chemo-protodynamic/photothermal cancer therapy [ 41 ]. Other common applications involve nanocelluloses as paper additives, implants, dentistry aids and cosmetics, and reinforcing elements in composite materials [ 42 ].…”

“…The rest is burned as a source of energy for the process and for the regeneration of the pulping catalysts [ 6 ]. The consolidation of more sustainable and competitive biorefineries depends largely on the effective valorization of lignin, which can be explored as a source of chemicals and materials [ 38 ]. In fact, increasingly sophisticated processes are based on routes that enable maximum use of the individual components of plant biomass, which can be exemplified by the recently published work on the oxidative fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass, conducted in the presence of Co-N-C catalysts and O 2 in acetone as a solvent, which allowed high recovery efficiency of phenolic aldehydes and carboxylic acids (vanillin, syringaldehyde, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, and syringic acid), with the simultaneous preservation of the cellulosic fraction [ 64 ].…”

Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polycaprolactone Green and Hybrid Biocomposites for Various Advanced Applications

“…Based on the origin of the raw ingredients and the manufacturing procedures, biopolymers can be categorized into several categories, including natural biopolymers and synthetic biodegradable polymers. Their characteristics are identified and applied widely in medical fields, such as implants, drug delivery, antimicrobial material, sutures and surgeries, among other things [ 4 , 5 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. The example of biopolymer is listed in Table 1 [ 12 ].…”

The Frontiers of Functionalized Nanocellulose-Based Composites and Their Application as Chemical Sensors

“…There are several different strategies of surface functionalization that can be used which involve the chemistry of hydroxyl functional groups found in nanocellulose as shown in Figure 5 . Functionalization of nanocellulose can usually be carried out through several reactions such as covalent, oxidation, esterification and even more [ 77 , 78 ]. In order to covalently modify superficial porous nanocellulose, this would involve its treatment with strong acids, silylation, the addition of small functional groups, medium-sized molecules, macromolecules, polymers or even nanoparticles.…”