A facile approach to modify cellulose nanocrystal for the adsorption of perfluorooctanoic acid

Chaimaa Gomri; Belkacem Tarek Benkhaled; Arnaud Chaix; Christophe Dorandeu; Joel Chopineau; Eddy Petit; Karim Aissou; Didier Cot; Marc Cretin; Mona Semsarilar

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121189

A facile approach to modify cellulose nanocrystal for the adsorption of perfluorooctanoic acid

Carbohydr Polym. 2023 Nov 1:319:121189. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121189. Epub 2023 Jul 10.

Affiliations

¹ Institut Européen des Membranes-IEM (UMR 5635), Univ Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34095 Montpellier, France.
² ICGM, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France.
³ Institut Européen des Membranes-IEM (UMR 5635), Univ Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34095 Montpellier, France. Electronic address: mona.semsarilar@umontpellier.fr.

PMID: 37567721
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121189

Abstract

Cellulose-based materials are a sustainable alternative to polymers derived from petroleum. Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) is a biopolymer belonging to this family; it is commonly known for its important physical and chemical properties and ability to form a film. Modifying CNC via electrostatic interaction provided by cationic polymers is a facile and promising technique to enlarge the application of CNC. Herein, we report the preparation of films, from blends of negatively charged CNC and positively charged poly (trimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate) (PTMAEMA). The interaction between CNC and PTMAEMA was verified by using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), as well as by measuring the particle size and ζ-potential of the casting mixture. To favor the application of the nanocomposite film in water treatment, the film was supported on Whatman™ paper, and adsorption tests were conducted using perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as a model compound for the family of persistent fluorinated pollutants known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).

Keywords: Adsorption; Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC); Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA); Poly (trimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate) (PTMAEMA); Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT).