Carboxycellulose Nanofibers from Underutilized Biomasses for Water Purification

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NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:This project aims to enhance our understanding of the structure-and-property relationships of carboxycellulose nanofibers (CNFs) that can be extracted from a diverse range of underutilized biomass resources (e.g. agricultural waste, grass, weeds and shrubs), as well as explore their potential usage for water purification. The intellectual merit of this proposal entails: (1) The preparation of new, high-valued CNF-based water purification materials from low- or no-valued biomasses, using a simple nitro-oxidation method with significant benefits in terms of energy and chemical savings. (2) The fundamental knowledge gained from the synthetic and characterization aspects, which can enable the development of new and innovative water purification technologies using CNFs as effective adsorbents and/or filtration materials toward low-cost and sustainable water treatments. This project will provide interdisciplinary training to graduate and undergraduate students, as well as research experiences and outreach opportunities to high-school students and teachers. It will also be integrated with broader activities on sustainability and clean water aimed at improving the quality-of-life for humankind.TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The aim of this research is to investigate the colloidal and flow behavior of carboxycellulose nanofibers (CNFs) prepared directly from a broad range of untreated (raw) biomasses. The planned research activities will involve the investigation of the relationships of structure, property and chemical conditions for extraction of CNFs from varying underutilized non-wood plant fiber sources using a newly developed nitro-oxidation method. They will be followed by the study of the colloidal behavior and flow properties of extracted CNFs, consisting of different aspect ratios and charge densities, in aqueous suspensions, under different conditions of counterion valency, ionic strength and pH level. Techniques to be used will be primarily synchrotron X-ray scattering and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy in combination with mixing flow-cell and rheology. Lastly, new water purification technologies will be developed using CNFs as adsorbents and/or filtration materials to treat a broad range of water contamination problems, especially due to toxic metal ions, to advance effective, low-cost and sustainable water purification solutions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.