Abstract:
This work reports on the structural modification of cellulosic materials with magnetic iron
oxide nanoparticles through the co-precipitation method. Cellulose is one of the most abundant
natural polymers with chemical variability brought about by the presence of several hydroxyl
groups, allowing its surface modifications through the insertion of several chemical groups to impact
its cellulosic characteristics. Thus, the objective of this study was to synthesize magnetic iron
oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) through co-precipitation, followed by in situ incorporation of MNPs
onto chemically purified cellulose (CPC) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). The composites were
characterized for thermal properties using TGA, molecular structure using FTIR, surface morphology
using SEM, elemental composition using electron dispersion spectroscopy (EDS), and crystallinity
using XRD. The prepared composites presented improved crystal, thermal, and surface properties.
CNC-MNPs and CPC-MNPs bore particle sizes of 26.94 and 37.72 nm, respectively, whereas MNPs’
particle size was 10.3 nm. EDS analysis indicated that Fe, C, and Cl were the main elements present
in the composites. Surface modification of the cellulosic materials presented excellent sorption
surface properties and can be used in several industrial processes, such as wastewater purification,
air filtration, and various environmental remediation processes.
Keywords: nanotechnology; iron oxide; cellulose; modification; composites; co-precipitation
