As the use of textile dyes, pesticides, and heavy metal ions (HMI) in the industrial and agricultural sectors have increased, sequential iterations are often required in wastewater treatments. Current research has shifted towards alternative methods that allow for the remediation of wastewater using cost-effective materials. More specifically, naturally abundant polymers, such as cellulose and its common derivatives, have gained attention due to their high adsorptive properties and tunable morphology. A supramolecular-photocatalytic nanocomposite was designed to efficiently remediate a broad range of model pollutants (methylene blue (MB), cadmium ions (Cd2+), Roundup®, and parabens), through the incorporation of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) into a bulk cellulose material. Initial results show that the synthesized nanocomposite demonstrated effective pollutant remediation through non-covalent interactions. The relationship between TiO2 and β-CD was modulated to alter the performance of the cellulose-based matrix when utilized in heterogenous wastewater systems.

Design of a supramolecular photocatalytic nanocomposite for the remediation of heterogenous wastewater

2019 Spring National Meeting

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