Microwave/ultrasonic powered in-liquid plasma-assisted synthesis of 3D-hierarchical nanoporous network wheat-straw lignin/thiadiazole amide-modified cellulose sponge composite for oil-in-water emulsion separation and microbiological disinfection

• Published in: International journal of biological macromolecules 2025-01, Vol.284 (Pt 1), p.138127, Article 138127
• Main Authors: Kanaan, Belal M., Algohary, Ayman M., Alhalafi, Zahra H., Rizk, Sameh A., Darwish, Atef S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cellulose - analogs & derivatives; Cellulose - chemistry; Disinfection - methods; Emulsions; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; In-liquid plasma irradiation; Lignin - chemistry; Lignin/thiadiazole amide-modified cellulose; Microwaves; Nanopores; Oil-in-water emulsion separation and biological activity; Oils - chemistry; Plasma Gases - chemistry; Porosity; Thiadiazoles - chemistry; Triticum - chemistry; Water - chemistry
• ISSN: 0141-8130; 1879-0003; 1879-0003
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.138127

Innovative super-hydrophilic/superoleophobic eco-friendly sponge composite is fabricated by integrating chemically-modified cellulose with lignin derived from bio-waste wheat-straw. Such combination is implemented by modifying cellulose with thiadiazole-amide and integrating it with lignin using microwave/ultrasonic-powered in-liquid plasma. Physicochemical characteristics of sponge-composite (WL-TDAC) are studied using FTIR, N2-physisorption, DLS, SEM, chemical-computational analysis, and surface wettability. In-liquid plasma irradiations inspire formation of abundant hydrogen bonds between cellulose and lignin, constructing highly negatively-charged sponge (ζAv = −36 eV) of developed surface character and 3D-hierarchical interconnected porous structure with a pore-size of ~2 nm. Sponge-composite displays underwater-oil-contact angles of 124° and 164.8° for n-hexane/water and dichloromethane/water mixtures, respectively, with water-contact-angle near 0°. Superhydrophilic-superoleophobic sponge powerfully separates light-oil/water and heavy-oil/water mixtures yielding water-permeation-fluxes of 8812.5 and 7500 L/m2/h, respectively, keeping separation-efficiencies >96 % for ten-cycles. Sponge-composite is a gorgeous disinfectant against hazardous bacteria/fungi. Cellulose-based lignin sponge seeds as promissory futuristic oil-in-water emulsion antimicrobial separator features for cleaning wastewater from oils and noxious microorganisms. •Cellulose was modified by thiadiazole amide heterocyclic compound.•In-liquid plasma-aided coupling of organo-modified cellulose by wheat straw-lignin.•In-liquid plasma firmly assists cellulose hydrogen bonded by lignin to form sponge.•Modified cellulose/lignin sponge owes super oil/water emulsion separation efficacy.•Organo-modified cellulose/lignin sponge possesses excellent biocidal activity.