Development and Performance Evaluation of Cellulose-Based Composite Hydrogels Incorporating Activated Carbon and Plant-Derived Additives for Environmental and Agricultural Applications

The potential of cellulose-based hydrogels for adsorption, separation, and retention of water, as well as for their surface and polymeric networks, is promising due to the tunability of their networks. This study employed the freeze-thaw structuring methodology on cellulose-based hydrogel systems to investigate their properties. Hydrogels of pure cellulose (S۱), mesh-reinforced (S۲), banana stem activated carbon (S۳), and blended rosemary leaf powder (S۴) were synthesized. Several attributes of these cellulose-based hydrogels, such as morphology, structure, crystallinity, and performance in separating/moving oil and water, were evaluated. The results of the study indicated that activated carbon and plant powder led to increased surface heterogeneity and porosity. The presence of certain functionalities (hydroxyls, carbonyls, and polysaccharides) associated with hydrogel-additive interactions was confirmed by the FTIR. Improved surface porosity, crystallinity, and adsorption were demonstrated by functionalizing cellulose-based hydrogels (S۳) under dynamic oil-water separation conditions, with the hydrogel mass change of (۱۲۸.۱۶±۳۰.۹۰%), indicating the greatest change in mass. The water withdrawal by hydrogel (S۲) was the highest. In the reactive soil experiment, hydrogels containing functional additives, under water-limited conditions, improved the growth of Lepidium sativum. The hydrogels thus demonstrated the potential to serve as eco-friendly cellulose-based materials.

کلیدواژه ها:

Cellulose hydrogel ، NaOH/urea solvent ، Activated carbon ، Rosmarinus officinalis ، Oil&ndash ، water separation ، Water retention