Fabrication of cellulose-based aerogels from waste newspaper without any pretreatment and their use for absorbents

Carbohydr Polym. 2015 Jun 5:123:150-6. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.01.056. Epub 2015 Feb 3.

Abstract

Cellulose-based aerogel (CBA) was prepared from waste newspaper (WNP) without any pretreatment using 1-allyl-3-methyimidazolium chloride (AmImCl) as a solvent via regeneration and an environmentally friendly freeze-drying method. After being treated with trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) via a simple thermal chemical vapor deposition process, the resulting CBAs were rendered both hydrophobic and oleophilic. Successful silanization on the surface of the porous CBA was verified by a variety of techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. As a result, the silane-coated, interconnected CBAs not only exhibited good absorption performance for oils (e.g., waste engine oil), but also showed absorption capacity for organic solvents such as chloroform (with a representative weight gain ranging from 11 to 22 times of their own dry weight), making them diversified absorbents for potential applications including sewage purification.

Keywords: Aerogel; Cellulose; Ionic liquid; Waste newspaper.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cellulose / chemistry*
  • Gels
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Imidazoles / chemistry*
  • Ionic Liquids / chemistry*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Oils / chemistry
  • Paper*
  • Porosity
  • Trimethylsilyl Compounds / chemistry*
  • Waste Products

Substances

  • Gels
  • Imidazoles
  • Ionic Liquids
  • Oils
  • Trimethylsilyl Compounds
  • Waste Products
  • trimethylchlorosilane
  • Cellulose