Eco-Friendly Cellulose-Based Aerogels From Posidonia oceanica Waste: Effect of Microcellulose Extraction Route and...

This work investigates the valorization of Posidonia waste biomass toward the eco-friendly synthesis of cellulose-based aerogels, with a particular emphasis on process efficiency and functional performance. This work further investigates how the choice of microcellulose extraction route influences the functional performance of the resulting aerogels. Compared to acid hydrolysis, enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in a significantly higher microcellulose yield and improved chemical purity, as confirmed by FTIR analysis, while avoiding harsh chemical conditions. The resulting microcellulose is used to produce lightweight, porous aerogels by freeze-drying in four formulations: microcellulose alone, microcellulose with chitosan, microcellulose with gelatin, and microcellulose with both chitosan and gelatin. Pure microcellulose aerogels exert the highest oil retention, while chitosan-reinforced aerogels present sheet-like structures with enhanced water sorption (2337.11% ± 22.5%). Gelatin incorporation increases the density of the aerogel, 69.30 ± 2.2 mg/cm³, while the combination of gelatin and chitosan seems to enhance the stiffness of the aerogel, maintaining its balanced absorption properties. Aerogels produced from enzymatically extracted microcellulose show higher methylene blue adsorption capacity, 216.77 ± 8.19 mg/g, compared with that coming from acid hydrolysis, 146.30 ± 2.78 mg/g, confirming the integrity of the cellulose and its active functional groups. Chitosan/gelatin incorporation slightly reduces the adsorption efficiency; however, the combination presents an intermediate performance, offering a good balance between structure and adsorption.