Oral Presentation Royal Australian Chemical Institute National Congress 2026

Preparation of cellulose-based adsorbents for eradication of pollutants in water (137682)

Sumaira Basharat 1 2 , Aisling O’Sullivan 3 4 , Ricardo Bello-Mendoza 5 , Lisa Pilkington 1 6 , David Barker 1 2
  1. School of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand
  2. MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
  3. Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
  4. Centre for Ecological Technical Solutions (CELTS), University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
  5. Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
  6. Te Pūnaha Matatini , University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand

Anionic pollutants such as (Nitrates, Phosphates and NSAID’s) pose a significant threat to both aquatic environment and public health. One way they can be removed from water is by utilizing cationic adsorbents using ion-exchange. Commonly used anion exchange resins are typically derived from synthetic polystyrene-based polymers using toxic chemicals which are difficult to degrade. In this project a novel green water filtration system was prepared where highly efficient cellulose-based resins were synthesized utilizing either atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) or free radical polymerization (FRP). Graft polymers were synthesized using cationic acrylamides grafting from a bromo-modified cellulosic backbone through ATRP. Also, cationic acrylamides were grafted onto cellulose via FRP initiated by ammonium persulfate (APS) using methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) as a cross linker which formed cationic hydrogels. Comparative characterization of the ungrafted and grafted cellulose polymers was performed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Raman Spectroscopy. The results confirmed the successful grafting of the polymers onto cellulosic surfaces. Isothermal and kinetic studies were further studied to check the efficiencies of the prepared materials. Under varied experimental conditions, the synthesized materials exhibited high adsorption capacities of 240.5 mg/g for nitrate (NO3-) and 50.3 mg/g for phosphate (PO43-) outperforming commercial polystyrene resin. The adsorption is attributed to electrostatic interactions and ion exchange facilitated by quaternary ammonium groups. The material retained good efficiency after ten adsorption-desorption cycles. This work proved that cellulose grafted polymers demonstrate exceptional potential as green, cost effective and sustainable adsorbents for wastewater treatment technologies1,2

  1. Maculewicz, J.; O’Sullivan, A. D.; Barker, D.; Wai, K. T.; Basharat, S.; Bello-Mendoza, R. Novel Quaternary Ammonium Functionalized Cellulosic Materials for Nitrate Adsorption from Polluted Waters. Water Air Soil Pollut 2024, 236 (1), 47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-024-07677-2.
  2. Ansari, S.; Bello-Mendoza, R.; O’Sullivan, A.; Basharat, S.; Barker, D. Nitrate and Phosphate Removal from Water Using a Novel Cellulose-Based Anion Exchange Hydrogel. Environmental Technology & Innovation 2025, 39, 104289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2025.104289.