Preparation and characterization of amphoteric cellulose-montmorillonite composite beads with a controllable porous structure

Conventional amphoteric and porous materials are often synthetic and polymer based; this tends to raise environmental concerns because of their poor biodegradability. To address this issue, novel natural-polymer- or amphoteric-modified cellulose and MOt (ACeOMt) composite beads with a typical mesoporous structure were developed in this study. These green-based porous beads, consisting of regenerated bagasse cellulose and oxalic acid modified montmorillonite (OMt), were successfully prepared by a facile coagulation method with fine calcium carbonate as a pore-forming agent. The beads with the best sphericity were obtained at a 1:1 weight ratio of cellulose to OMt. Scanning electron microscopy observation showed that ACeOMt possessed a smooth surface with abundant macropores. X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis characterizations demonstrated the success of the modification of montmorillonite and cellulose. The results of Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis indicate the presence of a typical mesoporous structure in the composite with a relatively high specific surface area. The resulting ACeOMt are expected to be biodegradable, nonhazardous, and applicable for various uses, including adsorption, chromatography, and soil remediation. (c) 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47941.