Phoenix dactylifera lignocellulosic biomass as precursor for nanostructure fabrication using integrated process.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Agricultural activities generate significant lignocellulosic biomass residue, necessitating effective valorization strategies to prevent waste.
• Phoenix dactylifera (date palm) biomass is an abundant, underutilized lignocellulosic resource with potential for sustainable material development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated process for fabricating diverse nanostructures from Phoenix dactylifera lignocellulosic biomass.
• To characterize the synthesized carbon nanodots (CDs), lignin nanoparticles (LNPs), and cellulose nanostructures (CNs).
• To assess the biocompatibility of the derived nanostructures for potential biomedical applications.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal treatment of Phoenix dactylifera biomass to obtain carbon nanodots (CDs).
• Alkali treatment and dialysis to isolate and form lignin nanoparticles (LNPs).
• Sequential bleaching and acid hydrolysis of the cellulose fraction to produce cellulose nanostructures (CNs).

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized spherical CDs (2-10 nm) and LNPs (100-900 nm), and fibrillated CNs (5-10 nm width, 400-700 nm length).
• Comprehensive analysis confirmed the structural properties, morphology, crystallinity, and thermal stability of the nanostructures.
• Biocompatibility tests demonstrated that the nanostructures are non-toxic to human mesenchymal stem cells up to 200 μg/mL.

Conclusions:

• An integrated, sustainable process enables the fabrication of various nanostructures from lignocellulosic biomass.
• The synthesized nanostructures exhibit desirable properties and biocompatibility, highlighting their potential for diverse applications.
• This methodology is adaptable for producing nanostructures from different plant-based lignocellulosic materials, promoting circular economy principles.