Cellulose beads were successfully prepared from waste denim using a dissolution-regeneration approach with ionic liquids as the dissolving solvent. Cellulose beads with different morphologies were achieved by altering the dissolving and coagulating solvents. The morphological differences were quantified by N2 physisorption. The impact of morphology on the cellulose beads' potential application was investigated in the context of drug loading and release. The results show that the fibrous morphology showed a better loading capacity than the globular analogue due to its higher surface area and pore volume.
Keywords: drug delivery; porous cellulose; porous structure; textile recycling; waste utilisation.