Synthesis of waste pineapple peel cellulose based hydrogels and aerogels

Aerogels were one of the groups of nanoporous materials with superior physicochemical properties. Their unique physical, chemical, and mechanical properties make aerogels as promising candidates for different applications including drug delivery, tissue engineering, medical implantable devices, biotechnology and wastewater treatments. The organic (silica) and inorganic (biopolymers) compounds can be used to synthesize aerogels. Cellulose found the most abundant in world was one of these biopolymers. Cellulose has properties such as biocompatibility, recyclability, excellent mechanical strength, adjustable optical appearance, thermostabilizing, non-toxicity make to prefer in aerogel studies. In this study, pineapple peel waste cellulose was used to synthesize aerogel. To obtain cellulose hydrogels cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose (monomers) were mixed with epichlorohydrin (cross-linker). Alcogels (by solvent exchange) and aerogels (by freeze-thaw) was synthesized from obtained hydrogels. The characterization studies water adsorption capacity and transparency tests were performed waste based hydrogel and aerogels.