Research indicates that the limonoid azadirachtin, a component in the seed oil of the neem tree Azadirachta indica, exhibits insecticidal and fungicidal properties. Neem oil has been directly applied to wood, rope and other cellulosic surfaces as a preservative, but this practice consumes excesss neem oil which has value. Application of the active limonoids without oil would be a less expensive and potentially just as effective. In this work, the adsorption of azadirachtin from a neem oil solution to a cellulose substrate was studied. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to confirm the presence of adsorbed material on a cellulose substrate. HPLC-UV-MS analysis was used to identify and quantify adsorbed components in methanol extracts. Our results indicate that azadirachtin exhibits a thermodynamic preference for physisorption on cellulose substrates and shows Freundlich isotherm behavior.

Adsorption of azadirachtin on cellulose: Preparation of sustainable biomaterials

247th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.