The Emerging of Nanocellulose as a New Generation of Water Purification Application

Abstract

Water pollution has been identified to be the grand environmental challenge, that could be adversely affected by the rapid growth urbanization, industrialization and economic development. In parallel to the concept of green chemistry principles for sustainability, the development of eco-friendly and advanced treatment systems has become critically important to the threatening conditions of environmental contamination. Nanocellulose, a class of sustainable and carbon-neutral nanomaterials, has received specific highlight in this regard to their attractive properties, from the perspective of the including abundance of hydroxyl groups, light-weight, high aspect ratio, tailorable surface chemistry, exceptional mechanical flexibility, bio-degradability and environmental compatibility. The 3D interleaved nanonetworks and tailorable pore structure over the surfaces of nanocellulose enable a broad range of surface functionalization, resulting in numerous tunable characteristics and advanced functionalities. Within this context, this paper attempts to elucidate the driving causes and major impacts of water pollution, and the inherent advantages and limitations of available treatment approaches. The development of nanocellulose as a new emerging water treatment technique, together with the challenges and future perspectives are discussed and presented. These advanced functional nanocellulose materials are expected to foster cross-disciplinary development in the near future.