Potential applications of cellulose and chitosan nanoparticles/composites in wastewater treatment: A review

This work concerns the investigation of potential candidature of cellulose and chitosan-based nano-sized materials for heavy metals and dyes removal. Cellulose and chitosan being the first two abundant biopolymers in nature offer wide opportunities to be utilized for high-end applications such as water purification. The nano-sized cellulose and nano-sized chitosan present superior adsorption behavior compared to their micro-sized counterparts. This area of research which explores the possible usage of nano-biopolymers is relatively new. The present review article outlines the development history of research in the field of cellulose and chitosan, various methods employed for the functionalization of the biopolymers, current stage of research, and mechanisms involved in adsorption of heavy metals and dyes using nanocellulose and nanochitosan. The significance of research using nano-biopolymers and future prospects are also identified. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.