Humic acid adsorption onto cationic cellulose nanofibers for bioinspired removal of copper(II) and a positively charged dye.

Waste pulp residues are herein exploited for the synthesis of a sorbent for humic acid (HA), which is a major water pollutant. Cellulose pulp was etherified with a quaternary ammonium salt in water thereby introducing positive charges onto the surface of the pulp fibers, and subsequently mechanically disintegrated into high surface area cellulose nanofibers (CNF). CNF with three different charge contents were produced and their adsorption capacity towards HA was investigated with UV-spectrophotometry, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation, and ζ-potential measurements. Substantial coverage of the CNF surface with HA in a wide pH range led to a reversal of the positive ζ-potentials of CNF suspensions. The HA adsorption capacity and the kinetics of HA uptake were found to be promoted by both acidic pH conditions and the surface charge content of CNF. It is suggested that HA adsorption onto CNF depends on electrostatic interactions between the two components, as well as on the conformation of HA. At pH ∼ 6, up to 310 mg g(-1) of HA were adsorbed by the functionalized CNF, a substantially higher capacity than that of previously reported HA sorbents in the literature. It is further shown that CNF-HA complexes could be freeze-dried into "soil-mimicking" porous foams having good capacity to capture Cu(II) ions and positive dyes from contaminated water. Thus, the most abundant natural polymer, i.e., cellulose could effectively bind the most abundant natural organic matter for environmental remediation purpose.

Correction: 45S5 bioactive glass-based scaffolds coated with cellulose nanowhiskers for bone tissue engineering.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/C4RA07740G.].

Cationic cellulose nanofibers from waste pulp residues and their nitrate, fluoride, sulphate and phosphate adsorption properties.

Cationic cellulose nanofibers (CNF) having 3 different contents of positively charged quaternary ammonium groups have been prepared from waste pulp residues according to a water-based modification method involving first the etherification of the pulp with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride followed by mechanical disintegration. The cationic nanofibers obtained were observed by scanning electron microscopy and the extent of the reaction was evaluated by conductometric titration, ζ-potential measurements, and thermogravimetric analyses. The cationic CNF had a maximum cationic charge content of 1.2mmolg(-1) and positive ζ-potential at various pH values. Sorption of negatively charged contaminants (fluoride, nitrate, phosphate and sulphate ions) and their selectivity onto cationic CNF have been evaluated. Maximum sorption of ∼0.6mmolg(-1) of these ions by CNF was achieved and selectivity adsorption studies showed that cationic CNF are more selective toward multivalent ions (PO4(3-) and SO4(2-)) than monovalent ions (F(-) and NO3(-)). In addition, we demonstrated that cationic CNF can be manufactured into permeable membranes capable of dynamic nitrate adsorption by utilizing a simple paper-making process.

Cellulose Nanocrystals--Bioactive Glass Hybrid Coating as Bone Substitutes by Electrophoretic Co-deposition: In Situ Control of Mineralization of Bioactive Glass and Enhancement of Osteoblastic Performance.

Surface functionalization of orthopedic implants is being intensively investigated to strengthen bone-to-implant contact and accelerate bone healing process. A hybrid coating, consisting of 45S5 bioactive glass (BG) individually wrapped and interconnected with fibrous cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), is deposited on 316L stainless steel from aqueous suspension by a one-step electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process. Apart from the codeposition mechanism elucidated by means of zeta-potential and scanning electron microscopy measurements, in vitro characterization of the deposited CNCs-BG coating in simulated body fluid reveals an extremely rapid mineralization of BG particles on the coating (e.g., the formation of hydroxyapatite crystals layer after 0.5 day). A series of comparative trials and characterization methods were carried out to comprehensively understand the mineralization process of BG interacting with CNCs. Furthermore, key factors for satisfying the applicability of an implant coating such as coating composition, surface topography, and adhesion strength were quantitatively investigated as a function of mineralization time. Cell culture studies (using MC3T3-E1) indicate that the presence of CNCs-BG coating substantially accelerated cell attachment, spreading, proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of extracellular matrix. This study has confirmed the capability of CNCs to enhance and regulate the bioactivity of BG particles, leading to mineralized CNCs-BG hybrids for improved bone implant coatings.