Cellulose-based nano-composite film for Indoor Environmental Quality and Sustainability
Jingwei Li, Kinjal J Shaha, Zhaoyang You
College of Urban Construction, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 218816, China
Polymer-based membranes and films have played an important role in removing air pollutants over the past few decades. There is currently a growing interest in the development of functional cellulose nanofiber (CNF) films for the removal of air pollutants. In particular, the development of materials with a higher absorption and conversion capacity of pollutant gases, i.e. CO2, SOx, and NOx, are a growing concern of the scientists. Here we have explained chemically modified CNFs with carboxylic surface functional groups by TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl) -oxidation and chemically bound nanocomposites based on modified CNFs with different metal pillars or organometallic frameworks create a robust and highly efficient material for various environmental applications for air purification. From this point of view, functional CNFs were used by immobilizing Pt nanoparticles and dendrimer loaded organoclay on the films for the degradation of indoor air pollutants (IAPs), i.e. Formaldehyde. The thin cellulose nanofibers were made with TEMPO radicle to achieve a thickness in the nanometer range without breaking the length. In addition, the use of cellulose nanofibers as a substrate or film has various advantages: The cellulose nanofibers are a renewable natural raw material, naturally degradable and easy to functionalize. Meanwhile, Pt nanoparticles are used as an environmental catalyst for the decomposition of indoor air pollutants (IAPs), while dendrimer-loaded organoclays have been used as gas adsorption and give the film mechanical strength. In our previous study we found that dendrimer plays the role of a reservoir for selective gas capture and as a carrier of electron / proton on the CNFs. To put into the practice, an environmentally conscious catalyst film was designed together with dendrimer, clay and Pt catalyst with different loading ratios and characterized by various analytical techniques before the decomposition of the IAPs.
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