Applications and impact of nanocellulose based adsorbents

Efficient separation and removal is necessary in applications ranging from environmental remediation to the food sector. A well-designed adsorption system should meet the demands for high efficiency in a cost and time effective manner. In wastewater treatment, the ideal chemical feedstock used to synthesize the adsorbents should themselves been environmentally friendly (i.e. non-toxic) to avoid subsequent environmental issues. Nanocellulose, made of the most abundant organic biopolymer on earth, fulfills many criteria to fit the profile of a highly safe, but efficient adsorbent. A survey of the literature reveals that nanocellulose materials have a proven track record as viable alternatives as adsorbents. To summarize these recent advances, this review describes the methodologies under current use for such designs and gives a systematic overview of these technologies to promote a more focused research in the future for nanocellulose based adsorbent materials.