Magnetic nanocellulose-magnetite aerogel for easy oil adsorption

Hongbo Gu; Xiaomin Zhou; Shangyun Lyu; Duo Pan; Mengyao Dong; Shide Wu; Tao Ding; Xin Wei; Ilwoo Seok; Suying Wei; Zhanhu Guo

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2019.10.084

Magnetic nanocellulose-magnetite aerogel for easy oil adsorption

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2020 Feb 15:560:849-856. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2019.10.084. Epub 2019 Oct 31.

Authors

Hongbo Gu¹, Xiaomin Zhou², Shangyun Lyu², Duo Pan³, Mengyao Dong⁴, Shide Wu⁵, Tao Ding⁶, Xin Wei⁷, Ilwoo Seok⁸, Suying Wei⁷, Zhanhu Guo⁹

Affiliations

¹ Key Lab of Chemical Assessment and Sustainability, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China. Electronic address: hongbogu2014@tongji.edu.cn.
² Key Lab of Chemical Assessment and Sustainability, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
³ College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266590, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Mold (Zhengzhou University), Ministry of Education, National Engineering Research Center for Advanced Polymer Processing Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China; Integrated Composites Laboratory (ICL), Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37966, USA.
⁵ Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Surface and Interface Science, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, No. 136, Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Integrated Composites Laboratory (ICL), Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37966, USA.
⁶ College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China.
⁷ Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX 77710, USA.
⁸ Mechanical Engineering, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA.
⁹ Integrated Composites Laboratory (ICL), Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37966, USA.

PMID: 31708258
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2019.10.084

Abstract

Hypothesis: Cellulose aerogels are a new category of high-efficiency adsorbents for treating oil spills and water pollution. However, the hydrophilic properties and recyclability of aerogels after adsorption hamper developments and applications. Combining both hydrophobic and magnetic properties are expected to improve their adsorption capacity and functionality.

Experiments: In this study, the effect of oleic acid (OA) and nanomagnetite on the preparation of magnetic nanocellulose aerogels (called as NCA/OA/Fe₃O₄) by a mechanical mixing combined with freeze-drying method have been investigated.

Findings: It has been found that the optimal condition for fabricating this NCA/OA/Fe₃O₄ aerogel is 0.4 wt% nanocellulose, 3 mg mL^-1 OA and 0.5 wt% Fe₃O₄ in the aqueous solution. This aerogel has a very low density of 9.2 mg cm^-3 and demonstrates a high adsorption capacity of 68.06 g g^-1 for cyclohexane. In addition, this aerogel adsorbent demonstrates an excellent magnetic responsivity and can be easily recycled by a permanent magnet after adsorption. As a consequence, this hydrophobic magnetic NCA/OA/Fe₃O₄ aerogel is promising not only for easy oil and organic solvent adsorption but also potentially for other magnetic related applications.

Keywords: Aerogel; Magnetic; Nanocellulose; Oil adsorption; Oleic acid.