A novel functionalized cellulose paper for wastewater treatment: Exploring its multifunctional capabilities through...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Wastewater treatment requires efficient and eco-friendly multifunctional materials.
• Cellulose paper offers a sustainable and abundant platform for material functionalization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel functionalized cellulose paper with catalytic, antibacterial, and oil-water separation properties.
• To investigate the synthesis and performance of silver nanoparticle-decorated cellulose paper.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of functionalized cellulose paper (CP/TA-APTES) via impregnation.
• Deposition of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on CP/TA-APTES to create CP/TA-APTES/Ag.
• Modification of CP/TA-APTES with octadecylamine (ODA) to achieve superhydrophobicity (CP/TA-APTES/ODA).

Main Results:

• CP/TA-APTES/Ag showed high catalytic activity for MB dye reduction (rate constant 0.0118 s⁻¹) and effective antibacterial properties.
• CP/TA-APTES/ODA exhibited superhydrophobic (water contact angle 155.6°) and superoleophilic (oil contact angle 0°) behavior.
• The material demonstrated efficient oil-water separation (>98.61% efficiency) and excellent recyclability over ten cycles.

Conclusions:

• The developed multifunctional cellulose-based paper offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution for wastewater treatment.
• The material's tunable properties, including catalytic, antibacterial, and separation capabilities, highlight its potential for environmental applications.