Dye Removal Using Hairy Nanocellulose: Experimental and Theoretical Investigations

Adsorption is a common technique for the treatment of dye-contaminated wastewater. Achieving a high dye removal capacity is a common challenge with sustainable, low-cost adsorbents. Recently, a class of easily functionalized, biorenewable cellulose nanoparticles called hairy nanocellulose has been developed. Electrosterically stabilized nanocrystalline cellulose (ENCC), which can be synthesized from wood pulp through a two-step oxidation by periodate and chlorite, is a form of hairy nanocellulose with a high negative charge density, and thus has the potential for a high adsorption capacity. In this work, the adsorption of methylene blue, a cationic dye, by ENCC was shown to occur up to charge stoichiometry (1400 mg dye/g adsorbent), at which point aggregation of ENCC-dye complexes is observed. A model is developed to show that the adsorption can be described by an ion-exchange mechanism and is influenced by the presence of other ions. Equilibrium dye removal is reduced at both high ionic strengths and low pH. To facilitate handling, composite hydrogel beads of sodium alginate and ENCC (ALG-ENCC beads) are developed, and their methylene blue removal capacity is shown to maintain a high removal capacity (1250 mg/g). ALG-ENCC beads provide a facile way to employ these nanoparticles on a larger scale, providing a potential means for the removal of dyes and other contaminants at larger wastewater volumes.