SYNTHESIS OF NANOCELLULOSE USING ULTRASOUND - ASSISTED ACID HYDROLYSIS FOR ADSORPTION/OXIDATION OF ORGANIC POLLUTANTS IN WASTEWATER UNDER UV AND SOLAR LIGHT

This work aimed to prepare nanocrystals of cellulose (NCW) through hydrolysis of Cotton Waste (CW) by nitric acid assisted with ultrasound/high temperature under optimum conditions. The synthesised NCW was thoroughly characterised using various techniques, including FTIR for surface functional groups analysis, FE-SEM, EDX, DRS, BET, and XRD for structural characterisation. Thermogravimetric analysis was utilised to investigate the thermal properties of NCW. The XRD data revealed a crystallite size of 10 nm to 50 nm while the average particle size from FE-SEM was calculated by ImageJ software. The hydrolysis and sonication treatment resulted in cellulose nanoparticles with irregular morphology with average particle sizes of 110 nm and less than 200 nm, respectively. The NCW particles obtained showed potential for the removal of organic pollutants in water treatment applications. Organic removal ratios of 92.5% and 82.3% were achieved for nanocellulose used as adsorbent and oxidant under UV and solar light.