Phosphorylated Cotton Cellulose as a Matrix for Generating Chlorine Dioxide

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemistry
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Developing effective and reusable disinfectant materials is crucial for industrial and public health applications.
• Cellulose-based disinfectants are underexplored, presenting an opportunity for novel material development.
• Existing disinfection methods often lack reusability and sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel modified cellulose material for disinfectant applications.
• To investigate the chlorine dioxide (ClO2) generation process from this material.
• To evaluate the reusability and effectiveness of the developed disinfectant fabric.

Main Methods:

• A phosphorylated cotton cellulose fabric was impregnated with a sodium chlorite (NaClO2) alcohol solution using an aerosol generator.
• The ClO2 generation kinetics were studied using methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol as solvents.
• The influence of humidity on ClO2 release and removal techniques, including UV treatment, were investigated.

Main Results:

• The modified cellulose fabric successfully generated chlorine dioxide (ClO2) within 25-35 minutes.
• Optimal ClO2 generation was observed with lower alcohols (methanol, ethanol, isopropanol).
• High humidity hindered ClO2 release, while UV treatment effectively removed excess ClO2 from the gas phase within 15 minutes.

Conclusions:

• The developed phosphorylated cellulose fabric is a promising reusable disinfectant material.
• The material efficiently generates ClO2 upon treatment with sodium chlorite solutions.
• This technology offers potential applications in food and industrial manufacturing for disinfection.