Removal of Some Heavy Metal ions by Modified Cellulose Nanocrystals Prepared From Sugarcane Bagasse.

Contamination by toxic metals presents acritical environmental challenge with severe implications for ecological balance and public health. Effective extraction of these hazardous elements from aqueous systems is essential for achieving environmental protection goals.This investigation evaluates the performance of cellulosenanocrystals (CNCs) derived from sugarcane bagasse (SCB), a sustainable and naturally degradable resource, which underwent chemical modification using succinic anhydride to produce SCNCs with enhanced physicochemical characteristics, improved structural stability, and additional functional sites capable of binding heavy metal species including lead, nickel, and cadmium, thereby amplifying the material's capacity for metal ion extraction from contaminated water sources. Characterization of both CNCs and SCNCs materials encompassed surface morphological examination through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The results performance evaluation demonstrated substantial enhancement in adsorption effectiveness for modified versus unmodified nanocrystals achieving removal efficiencies of 98.62% versus 86.70% for lead, 84.72% versus 67.17% for nickel, and 88.32% versus 48.17% for cadmium in 40 mg/L aqueous solutions,. Under pH 6.0 conditions, performance further improved to 99.22% versus 95.77% for lead, 39.26% versus 37.44% for nickel, and 91.77% versus 90.00% for cadmium. Optimal contact time of 90 minutes yielded removal rates of 84.72%-67.17%, 98.60%-87.25%, and 88.32%-48.17% for lead, nickel, and cadmium respectively when comparing SCNCs to CNCs. These results demonstrate that SCNCs possess exceptional adsorption capabilities, representing a viable and environmentally conscious solution for toxic metal remediation, underscoring the material's promise for environmental restoration applications, and establishing an innovative methodology for addressing heavy metal contamination in water treatment systems.