Nanocellulose Membranes for Plasmon-Enhanced Removal of Organic Pollutants from Water

We present multifunctional cellulose nanofiber (CNF) membranes containing in situ-synthesized plasmonic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for the efficient removal of organic pollutants from water. These membranes combine the adsorptivity and mechanical strength of CNF with the plasmonic properties of AgNPs, which, when activated by blue light, enable the photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants such as dyes and pharmaceuticals and thereby enhance their removal from water. The membranes demonstrate excellent adsorption capacity, flexibility, mechanical durability, and reusability and show no AgNP leaching in water, making them ideal for sustainable water treatment applications. Performance tests show significantly higher pollutant removal rates in membranes containing AgNPs, and exposure to blue light further accelerates the removal process, ascribed to the plasmonic decomposition of pollutants at the surface of the CNF_AgNP composite. To validate these findings, we tested methylene blue and the antibiotic vancomycin. The results confirm the plasmonic degradation of the molecules by irradiation of the CNF_AgNP membranes with visible light. These membranes offer a promising solution for water purification due to enhanced adsorption combined with photodecomposition by visible light, advancing sustainable technologies for tackling water contamination.