Glycine betaine grafted nanocellulose as an effective and bio-based cationic nanocellulose flocculant for wastewater treatment and microalgal harvesting.

ABSTRACT: Flocculation is a widely used technology in industry including for wastewater treatment and microalgae harvesting. To increase the sustainability of wastewater treatment, and to avoid contamination of the harvested microalgal biomass, there is a need for bio-based flocculants to replace synthetic polymer flocculants or metal salt coagulants. We developed the first cellulose nanocrystalline flocculant with a grafted cationic point charge, i.e. glycine betaine (i.e. N,N,N-trimethylglycine) grafted cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) effective for the flocculation of kaolin (a model system for wastewater treatment), the freshwater microalgae Chlorella vulgaris, and the marine microalgae Nannochloropsis oculata. We successfully grafted glycine betaine onto C

SUBMITTER: Blockx J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9417620 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature