Removal of wastewater phenolic compounds with triethylenetetramine functionalized polystyrene resin.

A polyamine functionalized polystyrene resin (PSATA) was prepared via condensation reaction of acetylated polystyrene resin with triethylenetetramine, which, upon NaBH4 reduction, produced PSATAR. In comparison with the PSATA, the PSATAR with more flexible amine groups shows improved structural properties, and the equilibrium adsorption capacities of phenol, 2-nitrophenol (ONP) and 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) in wastewater were up to 1.073, 1.832 and 1.901 mmol/g, respectively. Their adsorption isotherms fit well with the Freundlich model, indicating a multilayer, heterogeneous adsorption nature. Kinetic studies indicated that the adsorption of phenolic compounds conforms to the pseudo-second-order kinetics with the adsorption rate controlled by film diffusion for ONP and DNP, and intra-particle diffusion in the later stage for phenol.

A comprehensive review on preparation and functional application of the wood aerogel with natural cellulose framework.

As the traditional aerogel has defects such as poor mechanical properties, complicated preparation process, high energy consumption and non-renewable, wood aerogel as a new generation of aerogel shows unique advantages. With a natural cellulose framework, wood aerogel is a novel nano-porous material exhibiting exceptional properties such as light weight, high porosity, large specific surface area, and low thermal conductivity. Furthermore, its adaptability to further functionalization enables versatile applications across diverse fields. Driven by the imperative for sustainable development, wood aerogel as a renewable and eco-friendly material, has garnered significant attention from researchers. This review introduces preparation methods of wood aerogel based on the top-down strategy and analyzes the factors influencing their key properties intending to obtain wood aerogels with desirable properties. Avenues for realizing its functionality are also explored, and research progress across various domains are surveyed, including oil-water separation, conductivity and energy storage, as well as photothermal conversion. Finally, potential challenges associated with wood aerogel exploitation and utilization are addressed, alongside discussions on future prospects and research directions. The results emphasize the broad research value and future prospects of wood aerogels, which are poised to drive high-value utilization of wood and foster the development of green multifunctional aerogels.

Application progress of nanocellulose in food packaging: A review.

With the increasing environmental and ecological problems caused by petroleum-based packaging materials, the focus has gradually shifted to natural resources for the preparation of functional food packaging materials. In addition to biodegradable properties, nanocellulose (NC) mechanical properties, and rich surface chemistry are also fascinating and desired to be one of the most probable green packaging materials. In this review, we firstly introduce the recent progress of novel applications of NC in food packaging, including intelligent packaging, nano(bio)sensors, and nano-paper; secondly, we focus on the modification techniques of NC to summarize the properties (antimicrobial, mechanical, hydrophobic, antioxidant, and so on) that are required for food packaging, to expand the new synthetic methods and application areas. After presenting all the latest advances related to material design and sustainable applications, an overview summarizing the safety of NC is presented to promote a continuous and healthy movement of NC toward the field of truly sustainable packaging.