Improved p-chlorophenol adsorption onto copper-modified cellulose nanocrystal-based hydrogel spheres

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Wastewater contamination with p-chlorophenol poses environmental risks.
• Development of efficient and sustainable adsorbents is crucial for water remediation.
• Nanocellulose and alginate offer promising properties for adsorbent development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop eco-friendly hydrogel spheres for p-chlorophenol removal.
• To utilize copper-modified nanocellulose grafted onto alginate as a biosorbent.
• To optimize adsorption conditions and evaluate the performance of the developed spheres.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of copper-modified nanocellulose-alginate hydrogel spheres.
• Characterization using scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, surface area analysis, point of zero charge, and zeta potential.
• Optimization of p-chlorophenol adsorption by varying experimental parameters.
• Kinetic, isotherm, thermodynamic, and diffusion model analyses.

Main Results:

• The hydrogel spheres exhibited excellent adsorption capacity (66.67 mg g⁻¹).
• Adsorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm model.
• The adsorbent demonstrated reusability over five regeneration cycles.
• Thermodynamic studies indicated exothermic and spontaneous adsorption.

Conclusions:

• Copper-modified nanocellulose spheres are effective and sustainable biosorbents for p-chlorophenol.
• The developed material offers a viable solution for treating p-chlorophenol contaminated wastewater.
• Further research can explore scaling up this technology for industrial applications.