Preparation of Nanocellulose-Based Aerogel and Its Research Progress in Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

Nowadays, the fast expansion of the economy and industry results in a considerable volume of wastewater being released, severely affecting water quality and the environment. It has a significant influence on the biological environment, both terrestrial and aquatic plant and animal life, and human health. Therefore, wastewater treatment is a global issue of great concern. Nanocellulose’s hydrophilicity, easy surface modification, rich functional groups, and biocompatibility make it a candidate material for the preparation of aerogels. The third generation of aerogel is a nanocellulose-based aerogel. It has unique advantages such as a high specific surface area, a three-dimensional structure, is biodegradable, has a low density, has high porosity, and is renewable. It has the opportunity to replace traditional adsorbents (activated carbon, activated zeolite, etc.). This paper reviews the fabrication of nanocellulose-based aerogels. The preparation process is divided into four main steps: the preparation of nanocellulose, gelation of nanocellulose, solvent replacement of nanocellulose wet gel, and drying of nanocellulose wet aerogel. Furthermore, the research progress of the application of nanocellulose-based aerogels in the adsorption of dyes, heavy metal ions, antibiotics, organic solvents, and oil-water separation is reviewed. Finally, the development prospects and future challenges of nanocellulose-based aerogels are discussed.

Biopolymer Meets Nanoclay: Rational Fabrication of Superb Adsorption Beads from Green Precursors for Efficient Capture of Pb(II) and Dyes

“…After adsorption, the concentration of dye or Pb(II) in the solution was measured with a UV-Vis spectrophotometer (UV1900i, Shimadzu) and atomic absorption spectrometer (Analytic Jena, Jena, Germany), respectively. The saturated adsorption capacity (q e ) of the beads for cationic dye and Pb(II) was calculated using Equation (1).…”

“…With the rapid development of battery, electroplating, metal metallurgy, textile, papermaking, plastic, coating, and other industries, it is inevitable that a large amount of wastewater containing heavy metals and dyes will be generated and discharged, causing serious pollution to rivers, groundwater, soil, and other environments, which has become one of the environmental safety issues of global concern [1,2]. Water pollution is becoming more and more serious, and it will pose a major threat to the safety of human beings and other living beings on Earth [3,4].…”

Preparation and characterization of nanocellulose fiber (CNF) by biological enzymatic method

“…This is because the use of chemical pretreatment in the early stage destroys the frame structure formed by hemicellulose and lignin, resulting in enlarged pores. 47 With subsequent treatment using biological enzymes (pectinase, hemicellulase and laccase), enzyme molecules can directly enter the pores, react with cellulose, and improve conversion efficiency.…”

Fabrication of Loose Nanofiltration Membrane by Crosslinking TEMPO-Oxidized Cellulose Nanofibers for Effective Dye/Salt Separation

“…Through processing and functional modification of TOCNF, it can be applied to the preparation of nanofiltration (NF) or reverse osmosis (RO) membranes for dye wastewater treatment [16]. Due to its hydrogen-bonded parallel chains, TOCNF is a strong natural nanomaterial with a one-dimensional (1D) structure [17,18]. It can be combined with other two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials to fabricate NF membranes [19,20].…”