BACTERIAL NANOCELLULOSE DRESSING COMPARED WITH HYDROCOLLOID DRESSING FOR THE TREATMENT OF PARTIAL-THICKNESS SECOND-DEGREE BURNS: A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL.

The management of burn wounds is a major challenge throughout the globe. Superficial and partial-thickness burns generally do not need any surgical intervention, however, severe cases of burn injury require dressings (antimicrobial) and surgery in the worst-case scenario. The present study was conducted to assess the efficacy of bacterial nanocellulose dressing versus hydrocolloid dressing. All patients presenting with partial-thickness second-degree burns from June 2021 to May 2022 were screened for this randomized control trial; 65 burn patients were included in each group of this trial. The control group of patients was treated with hydrocolloid dressing and the experimental group with bacterial nanocellulose dressing sheets. Every third day, the wound was assessed. Other data collected included age, sex, %TBSA burned, signs of infection, time for epithelialization, and length of hospital stay. Statistical analyses were performed to see the significance of differences between the treatment groups by adjusting for size and depth of burn, and the patient's age. There were 130 patients (65 in each group). The median age for the whole group was 17.4 years, and 51.53% (n=67) were males. The average TBSA was 22.4%, with a minimum of 10% and a maximum of 31%. Eleven of the patients had their burns excised, and four were given skin grafts in the control group. In the case of the experimental group, four excisions were performed, and one skin graft. Wound-related pain scores were low (mean of 2.6) for the bacterial nanocellulose group and higher for the hydrocolloid group. Hydrocolloid dressing is more cost effective than bacterial nanocellulose dressing. However, the pain scores were high, and healing time was less in the bacterial nanocellulose group. Moreover, the hydrocolloid group is more prone to infection due to frequent dressing changes.

La prise en charge des brûlés est un problème mondial de santé publique. Si les brûlures superficielles et intermédiaires guérissent habituellement spontanément, les plus sévères nécessitent une prise en charge chirurgicale, après pansements antibactériens. Cette étude a pour but de comparer l'efficacité des pansements à l'hydrocellulose bactérien et l'hydrocolloïde. Tous les patients souffrant de brûlures intermédiaires vus entre juin 2021 et mai 2022 ont été tirés au sort pour former 2 groupes de 65, de 17,4 ans d'âge médian avec une légère prédominance masculine (67 soit 51,53%), brûlés sur 22,4% de SCT en moyenne (10-31). Le groupe contrôle avait des pansements à l'hydrocolloïde (HC), le groupe à l'étude au nanocellulose bactérien (NB), la plaie étant évaluée tous les 3 jours. Les variables à l'étude étaient l'âge, le sexe, la surface brûlée, les signes d'infection, le délai d'épithélialisation et la durée de séjour. Les comparaisons ont été ajustées sur la surface, la profondeur et l'âge. Dans le groupe HC, 11 patients ont été excisés et 4 greffés contre 4 et 1 dans le groupe NB. La douleur des NB était à 2,6 ; elle était plus élevée dans le groupe HC. Le NB est plus cher que le HC. Il faut toutefois rapporter ce coût à une douleur moindre et à une cicatrisation plus rapide. Qui plus est, les patients sous HC sont plus à risque d'infection en raison de changements de pansements plus fréquents.

Valorization of citrus peel industrial wastes for facile extraction of extractives, pectin, and cellulose nanocrystals through ultrasonication: An in-depth investigation.

In this work we developed an eco-friendly valorisation of Citrus wastes (CWs), through a solvent-assisted ultrasonication extraction technique, thus having access to a wide range of bio-active compounds and polysaccharides, extremely useful in different industrial sectors (food, cosmetics, nutraceutical). Water-based low-amplitude ultrasonication was examined as a potential method for pectin extraction as well as polar and non-polar citrus extractives (CEs), among which hesperidin and triglycerides of 18 carbon fatty acids were found to be the most representative ones. In addition, citric acid:glycerol (1:4)-based deep eutectic solvent (DES) in combination with ultrasonic extraction was utilized to extract microcellulose (CMC), from which stable cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with glycerol-assisted high amplitude ultrasonication were obtained. The physical and chemical properties of the extracted polysaccharides (pectin, micro and nanocellulose) were analysed through DLS, ζ-potential, XRD, HP-SEC, SEM, AFM, TGA-DSC, FTIR, NMR, and PMP-HPLC analyses. The putative structure of the extracted citrus pectin (CP) was analysed and elucidated through enzyme-assisted hydrolysis in correlation with ESI-MS and monosaccharide composition. The developed extraction methods are expected to influence the industrial process for the valorisation of CWs and implement the circular bio-economy.

Designing for Degradation: Transient Devices Enabled by (Nano)Cellulose.

Transient technology involves materials and devices that undergo controlled degradation after a reliable operation period. This groundbreaking strategy offers significant advantages over conventional devices based on non-renewable materials by limiting environmental exposure to potentially hazardous components after disposal, and by increasing material circularity. As the most abundant naturally occurring polymer on Earth, cellulose is an attractive material for this purpose. Besides, (nano)celluloses are inherently biodegradable and have competitive mechanical, optical, thermal, and ionic conductivity properties that can be exploited to develop sustainable devices and avoid the end-of-life issues associated with conventional systems. Despite its potential, few efforts have been made to review current advances in cellulose-based transient technology. Therefore, this review catalogs the state-of-the-art developments in transient devices enabled by cellulosic materials. To provide a wide perspective, the various degradation mechanisms involved in cellulosic transient devices are introduced. The advanced capabilities of transient cellulosic systems in sensing, photonics, energy storage, electronics, and biomedicine are also highlighted. Current bottlenecks toward successful implementation are discussed, with material circularity and environmental impact metrics at the center. It is believed that this review will serve as a valuable resource for the proliferation of cellulose-based transient technology and its implementation into fully integrated, circular, and environmentally sustainable devices.

Synthesis of hemostatic aerogel of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers/collagen/chitosan and in vivo/vitro evaluation.

The treatment of internal hemorrhage remains challenging due to the current limited antibacterial capability, hemostatic efficacy, and biocompatibility of hemostatic materials. The TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers/collagen/chitosan (TCNF/COL/CS) hemostatic aerogel was developed in this work by physically encasing COL in a sandwich structure and electrostatically self-assembling polyanionic TCNF with polycationic CS. In vitro coagulation experiments revealed the favorable procoagulant properties of TCNF/COL/CS along with high adhesion to erythrocytes and platelets. TCNF/COL/CS significantly increased the hemostatic efficacy by 59.8 % and decreased blood loss by 62.2 % in the liver injury model when compared to Surgicel®, the most frequently used hemostatic material. Furthermore, it demonstrated outstanding biodegradability both in vitro and in vivo, and a substantial increase in resistance (96.8 % against E. coli and 95.4 % against S. aureus) compared to TCNF. The significant hemostatic and biodegradable characteristics of TCNF/COL/CS can be ascribed to its interconnected porous structure, increased porosity, and efficient water absorption, along with the synergistic effect of the three constituents. The TCNF/COL/CS aerogel shows significant potential to control internal bleeding. A novel plant-derived nanocellulose composite aerogel has been described here for the first time; it has outstanding antibacterial characteristics, higher biocompatibility, and outstanding hemostatic characteristics in vivo.

Modulating the isotopic hydrogen-deuterium exchange in functionalized nanocellulose to optimize SANS contrast.

Contrast matching by isotopic exchange in cellulose allows visualizing functional groups, biomolecules, polymers and nanoparticles embedded in cellulosic composites. This isotopic exchange varies the scattering length density of cellulose to match its contrast with the background network. Here, contrast matching of microcrystalline-cellulose (MCC) and the functionalized nanocellulose-fiber (CNF) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are elucidated by small angle neutron scattering (SANS). Results show no isotopic exchange occurs for the CNF surface functionalized with carboxyl nor for the CNC-High with a high sulfate groups concentration. Both CNC-Low, with low sulfate groups, and MCC exchange 1H with 1D in D2O. This is due to the high exchange probability of the labile C6 position primary -OH group. The structure of thermo-responsive poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAM) chains grafted onto CNF (PNIPAM-grafted-CNF) was extracted by CNF contrast matching near the lower critical solution temperature. Contrast matching eradicates the CNF scattering to retain only the scattering from the grafted-PNIPAM chains. The coil to globule thermo-transition of PNIPAM was revealed by the power law variation from q-1.3 to q-4 in SANS. Isotopic exchange in functionalized cellulosic materials reveals the nano- and micro-scale structure of its individual components. This improved visualization by contrast matching can be extended to carbohydrate polymers to engineer biopharmaceutical and food applications.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial emulsions with amphiphilic olive extract, nanocellulose-stabilized thyme oil and common salts for active paper-based packaging.

Anionic cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were used to stabilize emulsions that combined water-soluble (and oil-soluble), strongly antioxidant extracts with a water-immiscible, notably antimicrobial essential oil. Specifically, the radical scavenging activity was primarily provided by aqueous extracts from olive fruit (Olea europaea L.), while the antimicrobial effects owed eminently to thyme oil (Thymus vulgaris L.). The resulting emulsions were highly viscous at low shear rate (4.4 Pa·s) and displayed yield stress. The addition of edible salts decreased the yield stress, the apparent viscosity and the droplet size, to the detriment of stability at ionic strengths above 50 mM. Once characterized, the antioxidant and antimicrobial emulsions were applied on packaging-grade paper. Coated paper sheets inhibited the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, a common foodborne pathogen, and acted as antioxidant emitters. In this sense, the release to food simulants A (ethanol 10 vol%), B (acetic acid 3 wt%), and C (ethanol 20 vol%) was assessed. A 24-hour exposure of 0.01 m2 of coated paper to 0.1 L of these hydrophilic simulants achieved inhibition levels of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) in the 15-29 % range. All considered, the bioactive properties of thyme essential oil towards lipophilic food products can be complemented with the antioxidant activity of aqueous olive extracts towards hydrophilic systems, resulting in a versatile combination for active food packaging.

Responsive nanocellulose-PNIPAM millicapsules.

HYPOTHESIS: Milli- and micro-capsules are developed to facilitate the controlled release of diverse active ingredients by passive diffusion or a triggered burst. As applications expand, capsules are required to be increasingly multi-functional, combining benefits like encapsulation, response, release, and even movement. Balancing the increasingly complex demands of capsules is a desire to minimize material usage, requiring efficient structural and chemical design. Designing multifunctional capsules with complex deformation should be possible even after minimizing the material usage through use of sparse fiber networks if the fibers are coated with responsive polymers. EXPERIMENTS: Here capsules are created with a shell made from a mesh of nanoscale bacterial cellulose fibers that provide mechanical strength at very low mass levels, while a coating of thermoresponsive Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPAM, on the fibers provides control of permeability, elastic response, and temperature response. These properties are varied by grafting different amounts of polymer using particular reaction conditions. FINDINGS: The addition of PNIPAM to the cellulose mesh capsule enhances its mechanical properties, enabling it to undergo large deformations and recover once stress is removed. The increased elastic response of the capsule also provides reinforcement against drying-induced capillary stresses, limiting the degree of shrinkage during dehydration. Time-lapse microscopy demonstrates thermoreversible swelling of the capsules in response to temperature change. Cycles of swelling and shrinkage drive solvent convection to and from the capsule interior, allowing exchange of contents and mixing with the bulk fluid on a time scale of seconds. Because the cellulose capsules are produced via emulsion-templated fermentation, the polymer-modified biocapsule concept introduced here presents a pathway toward the sustainable and scalable manufacture of multifunctional responsive capsules.

Fabrication of edible nanocellulose chitosan bi-component film based on a novel "swell-permeate" approach.

The fabrication of multi-component film with colloidal particles could be inconvenient. A novel "swell-permeate" (SP) strategy was proposed to form homogeneous multi-component films. The SP strategy allows colloidal particles to fit into the polymer network by stretching the polymer chains assisted by water. We demonstrated the strategy by creating films with polysaccharide substrates as ß-cyclodextrin grafted chitosan (CS) with nanocellulose. The addition of nanocellulose significantly increased the mechanical properties and the barrier performance of the films. The size of nanocellulose particles in affecting mechanical properties was investigated by applying different length of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), the longer of which, due to denser physical entanglements, showed a better increase to the film in the elastic modulus and tensile strength to 4.54-fold and 5.71-fold, respectively. The films were also loaded with ethyl-p-coumarate (EpCA) and had an enhanced performance in anti-microbial for Altenaria alternata, Salmonella typhi, and Escherichia coli. The anti-oxidative property was increased as well, and both effects were valid both in vitro and in ready-to-eat apples. The strategy provides a practical and convenient method for fabricating colloidal particle containing films, and the novel idea of "swell-permeate" is potentially regarded as a new solution to the challenge of ready-to-eat food quality maintenance.

Gas evolution in self-extinguishing and insulative nanopolysaccharide-based hybrid foams.

Lightweight, energy-efficient materials in building construction typically include polymeric and composite foams. However, these materials pose significant fire hazards due to their high combustibility and toxic gas emissions, including carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. This study delves into the latter aspects by comparing hybrid systems based on nanofiber-reinforced silica-based Pickering foams with a synthetic reference (polyurethane foams). The extent and dynamics of fire retardancy and toxic gas evolution were assessed, and the results revealed the benefits of combining the thermal insulation of silica with the structural strength of biobased nanofibers, the latter of which included anionic and phosphorylated cellulose as well as chitin nanofibers. We demonstrate that the nanofiber-reinforced silica-based Pickering foams are thermal insulative and provide both fire safety and energy efficiency. The results set the basis for the practical design of hybrid foams to advance environmental sustainability goals by reducing energy consumption in built environments.

From cane to nano: advanced nanomaterials derived from sugarcane products with insights into their synthesis and applications.

Sugarcane-based products are inherently rich in elements such as silicon, carbon and nitrogen. As such, these become ideal precursors for utilization in a wide array of application fields. One of the appealing areas is to transform them into nanomaterials of high interest that can be employed in several prominent applications. Among nanomaterials, sugarcane products based on silica nanoparticles (SNPs), carbon dots (CDs), metal/metal oxide-based NPs, nanocellulose, cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), and nano biochar are becoming increasingly reported. Through manipulation of the experimental conditions and choosing suitable starting precursors and elements, it is possible to devise these nanomaterials with highly desired properties suited for specific applications. The current review presents the findings from the recent literature wherein an effort has been made to convey new development in the field of sugarcane-based products for the synthesis of the above-mentioned nanomaterials. Various nanomaterials were systematically discussed in terms of their synthesis and application perspectives. Wherever possible, a comparative analysis was carried out to highlight the potential of sugarcane products for the intended purpose as compared to other biomass-based materials. This review is expected to stand out in delivering an up-to-date survey of the literature and provide readers with necessary directions for future research.

This review focuses on sugarcane-derived nanomaterials such as silica, nano cellulose, nanofibers, nanocrystals and metal/nonmetal nanoparticles and their application in various energy and environmental fields.

Investigate the in vitro biocompatibility, biodegradation, cytotoxicity, and differentiation potential of 3-D gelatin-nanocellulose composite scaffolds loaded with nanohydroxyapatite and simvastatin.

Bone tissue engineering has been proposed as a promising solution for healing of bone fractures. An important aspect of bone tissue engineering is the implantable scaffolds that participate in the regeneration and repair of bone tissue. In this study, the composite scaffolds of gelatin- nanocellulose loaded with nanohydroxyapatite and simvastatin (as the osteoinductive component) were fabricated using freeze- drying method. Scaffolds were characterized in terms of morphology, mechanical, biodegradability, water absorption capacity, and simvastatin release characteristics. Also, the biocompatibility and differentiation potential of the scaffolds were evaluated on human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells using the MTT assay and alizarin red staining, respectively. The simvastatin loaded scaffolds showed a sustained release profile in vitro up to 216 h. The results of BMSCs differentiation by alizarin red staining showed significant differences between the simvastatin loaded group and other groups. Moreover, the results of MTT assay verified cytocompatibility and non-toxicity of the scaffolds. Therefore, the gelatin-nano cellulose composite scaffolds loaded with hydroxyapatite and simvastatin may be considered promising for use in bone tissue engineering.

Tailoring of spherical nanocellulose via esterification with methionine followed by protonation to generate two different adsorbents for mercuric ions and Congo red.

Herein, we report two different adsorbents from spherical nanocellulose (SNC) in successive steps, for the adsorption of Hg2+ ions and Congo red (CR). Cellulose extracted from pine needles was subsequently converted to SNC through mixed acidic hydrolysis. As-obtained SNC was esterified with methionine at C6 of the anhydroglucose unit of SNC to SNC-methionine ester (SNC-ME). The amino group of methionine residue in SNC-ME was protonated to SNC-PME with positive surface charge. The SNC-ME and SNC-PME were evaluated as Hg2+ ions and CR adsorbents, respectively. The SNC, SNC-ME, SNC-PME, Hg2+-loaded SNC-ME, and CR-loaded SNC-PME were characterized by FTIR, XRD, XPS, Zeta potential, BET, FESEM, EDS, and surface charge analysis. SNC-ME showed Hg2+ ions removal efficiency of 94.8 ±â€¯1.9 % in 40 min, while SNC-PME showed CR removal efficiency of 96.1 ±â€¯3.8 % in 90 min. The adsorption data of both the adsorbents fitted best into pseudo-second order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm. The maximum adsorption capacity of SNC-ME for Hg2+ ions was 211.5 ±â€¯3.1 mg/g and that of SNC-PME for CR was 281.1 ±â€¯7.1 mg/g. The astounding recyclability of the adsorbents for ten repeat cycles with significant cumulative adsorption capacity of 760.9 ±â€¯12.8 mg/g for Hg2+ ions and 758.8 ±â€¯12.7 mg/g for CR endorses their spectacular potentiality for wastewater treatment.

A tough, stretchable, adhesive and electroconductive polyacrylamide hydrogel sensor incorporated with sulfonated nanocellulose and carbon nanotubes.

Recently, hydrogel sensors have been widely applied in wearable and portable electronics, but the low mechanical property, intolerance of fatigue, and low sensitivity and adhesion limit their further applications. In this study, sulfonated nanocellulose (SCNF) with dual functionality was blended into polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel matrix to reinforce the mechanical strength and facilitate the homogeneous dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The SCNF-CNT/PAM hydrogel was designed through free radical polymerization to achieve commendable mechanical, electrical, and multifunctional properties. The environmental-friendly SCNF serves as bio-templates to facilitate the assembling of CNT into integrated SCNF-CNT structures with good dispersity, thus enabling the establishment of an integrated conducting and reinforcing network. The fabricated SCNF-CNT/PAM hydrogel exhibited outstanding compressive strength (∼0.45 MPa at 50 % strain), tensile strength (∼169.12 kPa), and antifatigue capacity under cyclic stretching and pressing. Furthermore, the multifunctional sensors assembled using this hydrogel demonstrated high strain sensitivity (gauge factor ~ 3.7 at 100-400 % strain) and effectively detected human motions. This design principle provides promising prospects for constructing next-generation multifunctional flexible sensors, and the integration of these distinctive properties enables the prepared composite hydrogels to find potential applications in various areas, such as implantable soft electronic devices, electronic skin, and human movement monitoring.

Plasma Treatment of Nanocellulose to Improve the Surface Properties.

Nanocellulose is among the most promising materials for enhancing the mechanical properties of polymer composites. Broad application is, however, limited by inadequate surface properties. A standard technique for tailoring the surface composition and wettability of polymers is a brief treatment with non-equilibrium gaseous plasma, but it often fails when treating materials with a large surface-to-mass ratio, such as cellulose nanofibers. In this paper, the theoretical limitations are explained, the approaches reported by different groups are reviewed, and the results are interpreted. The treatment of dry nanocellulose is limited by the ability of uniform treatment, whereas the plasma treatment of nanocellulose dispersed in liquids is a slow process. The methods for enhancing the treatment efficiency for both dry and water-dispersed nanocellulose are explained.

Thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties of oil palm cellulose nanofibril reinforced green epoxy nanocomposites.

In this study, significant improvements in mechanical properties have been seen through the efficient inclusion of Oil Palm Cellulose Nanofibrils (CNF) as nano-fillers into green polymer matrices produced from biomass with a 28 % carbon content. The goal of the research was to make green epoxy nanocomposites utilizing solution blending process with acetone as the solvent with the different CNF loadings (0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 wt%). An ultrasonic bath was used in conjunction with mechanical stirring to guarantee that CNF was effectively dispersed throughout the green epoxy. The resultant nanocomposites underwent thorough evaluation, comparing them to unfilled green epoxy and evaluating their morphological, mechanical, and thermal behavior using a variety of instruments. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was used to validate findings, which showed that the CNF were dispersed optimally inside the nanocomposites. The thermal degradation temperature (Td) of the nanocomposites showed a marginal decrement of 0.8 % in temperatures (from 348 °C to 345 °C), between unfilled green epoxy (neat) and 0.1 wt% of CNF loading. The mechanical test results, which showed a 13.3 % improvement in hardness and a 6.45 % rise in tensile strength when compared to unfilled green epoxy, were in line with previously published research. Overall, the outcomes showed that green nanocomposites have significantly improved in performance.

Effect of Antisolvent Used to Regenerate Cellulose Treated with Ionic Liquid on Its Properties.

The solvolysis reaction with ionic liquids is one of the most frequently used methods for producing nanometer-sized cellulose. In this study, the nanocellulose was obtained by reacting microcrystalline cellulose with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EmimOAc). The aim of this research was to determine the influence of various antisolvents used in the regeneration of cellulose after treatment with ionic liquid on its properties. The following antisolvents were used in this research: acetone, acetonitrile, water, ethanol and a mixture of acetone and water in a 1:1 v/v ratio. The nanocellulose was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and elemental analysis (EA). The results show that the antisolvent used to regenerate cellulose after the solvolysis reaction with EmimOAc affects its properties. Water, ethanol and a mixture of acetone and water successfully removed the used ionic liquid from the cellulose structure, while acetone and acetonitrile were unable to completely remove EmimOAc from the cellulosic material. The results of the XRD analysis indicate that there is a correlation between the ionic liquid content in the regenerated cellulose and its degree of crystallinity. Among the tested solvents, water leads to the effective removal of EmimOAc from the cellulose structure, which is additionally characterized by the smallest particle size and non-formation of agglomerates.

Characterization of Alginate-Crystalline Nanocellulose Composite Hydrogel as Polyphenol Encapsulation Agent.

Alginate hydrogel is broadly known for its potential as an encapsulation agent due to its compatibility and versatility. Despite its predominance, alginate hydrogel naturally has macropores and a less rigid structure, which leads to syneresis and uncontrolled diffusion of bioactive compounds from the gel network. Combining alginate with other biopolymers has been considered to improve its properties as an encapsulation agent. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of Crystalline Nanocellulose (CNC) to the physical properties and the diffusion of gallic acid (GA), as a water-soluble polyphenol model, through the alginate-CNC composite hydrogels performed as an encapsulation agent. The hydrogel mixtures were made from 1:0, 1:1, 2:0, 2:1, 2:2, and 2:3 solid-basis ratio of sodium alginate:crystalline nanocellulose and evaluated for syneresis, gel strength and stiffness, rehydration properties and gel porosity. Alginate-CNC and GA interaction was observed through zeta-potential analysis and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Results showed that composite hydrogel with the highest proportion of CNC increased the gel rehydration capacity (87.33 %), gel strength and stiffness as well as reduced the gel syneresis (14.72 %) and dried gel porosity (0.62). GA pre-loaded gel with 2:2 and 2:3 S-C ratios reduced the diffusion of gallic acid by 92.07-92.27 %. FTIR showed hydrogen bonding between GA and the alginate-CNC hydrogel. Alginate-CNC hydrogel had a fibrous and compact structure as shown in the cryo-SEM and confocal microscope images.

Innovative Adsorbents for Pollutant Removal: Exploring the Latest Research and Applications.

The growing presence of diverse pollutants, including heavy metals, organic compounds, pharmaceuticals, and emerging contaminants, poses significant environmental and health risks. Traditional methods for pollutant removal often face limitations in efficiency, selectivity, and sustainability. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent advancements in innovative adsorbents designed to address these challenges. It explores a wide array of non-conventional adsorbent materials, such as nanocellulose, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), graphene-based composites, and biochar, emphasizing their sources, structural characteristics, and unique adsorption mechanisms. The review discusses adsorption processes, including the basic principles, kinetics, isotherms, and the factors influencing adsorption efficiency. It highlights the superior performance of these materials in removing specific pollutants across various environmental settings. The practical applications of these adsorbents are further explored through case studies in industrial settings, pilot studies, and field trials, showcasing their real-world effectiveness. Additionally, the review critically examines the economic considerations, technical challenges, and environmental impacts associated with these adsorbents, offering a balanced perspective on their viability and sustainability. The conclusion emphasizes future research directions, focusing on the development of scalable production methods, enhanced material stability, and sustainable regeneration techniques. This comprehensive assessment underscores the transformative potential of innovative adsorbents in pollutant remediation and their critical role in advancing environmental protection.

Nanocellulose separation from barley straw via ultrasound-assisted choline chloride - Formic acid deep eutectic solvent pretreatment and high-intensity ultrasonication.

The present study aims at investigating the application of ultrasound assisted choline chloride (ChCl) - formic acid (FA) deep eutectic solvent (DES) pretreatment of Barley straw. In addition, the efficiency of a wet grinding followed by high intensity ultrasound (HIUS) treatment for production of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) has been evaluated. The DES (using ChCl: FA at 1:9 M ratio) treatment at 45 kHz ultrasound frequency and 3 h of treatment duration resulted in 84.68 ± 1.02 % and 82.96 ± 0.79 % of lignin and hemicellulose solubilisation, respectively. The purification of DES treated solid residue resulted in cellulose with more than 90 % purity. Further, 10 min of wet grinding followed by 40 min of HIUS treatment resulted in more than 80 % nano-fibrillation efficiency. The produced CNF had diameters less than 100 nm in number size distribution and type I cellulose structure. This study confirmed that the developed process offers a sustainable method for producing nanocellulose from agricultural waste.

Effect of dialdehyde nanocellulose-tannin fillers on antioxidant, antibacterial, mechanical and barrier properties of chitosan films for cherry tomato preservation.

In this study, bio-based composite films from nanocellulose, tannin and chitosan were fabricated. First, tannin was covalently immobilized onto dialdehyde CNCs (DACNCs) through the nucleophilic reaction to obtain TA-CNCs. TA-CNCs were then added into chitosan matrix as the nanofillers to obtain chitosan-TA-CNC (CS-TA-CNC) films. Compared with pure chitosan film, the water solubility, swelling ratio, water vapor and oxygen barrier properties of CS-TA-CNC films decreased, indicating the improved water-resistant and barrier properties. The composite films exhibited high UV blocking, antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial properties against both E. coli and S. aureus. CS-TA-CNC film with a TA-CNC content of 10 % exhibited the highest tensile strength (77.57 MPa) and toughness (23.51 MJ/m3), 2.23 and 2.5 times higher than that of pure chitosan film, respectively. The composite films extended postharvest life of tomato cherries compared to the pure chitosan film. Films prepared from sustainable bioresources show promising potential for use in active packaging.