Nanocellulose-based adsorbents for water remediation: role of surface functionalisation and isocyanate chemistry.
- 1Satbayev University, Department of Materials Science, Nanotechnology and Engineering Physics 22 Satbayev Street Almaty 050013 Kazakhstan [email protected].
- 2Kazakh National Women's Teacher Training University, Department of Chemistry 114/8 Gogol Street Almaty 050000 Kazakhstan.
- 3Laboratory of Engineering Profile, Satbayev University 22 Satbayev Street Almaty 050013 Kazakhstan.
Abstract
Water contamination by synthetic dyes, heavy metals, and emerging micropollutants has intensified the search for sustainable, high-performance adsorbents. Nanocellulose (NC) - available as cellulose nanocrystals, nanofibrils, and bacterial nanocellulose - has become a leading bio-based platform for water remediation owing to its high specific surface area, abundant surface hydroxyl groups, and amenability to chemical modification. The performance of NC sorbents is governed largely by surface functionalisation, yet existing reviews treat the available modification chemistries unevenly. In particular, isocyanate (carbamation) chemistry is almost invariably reduced to a single entry in a list of modification methods, despite being one of the few strategies able to combine, within a single platform, covalent crosslinking, tunable surface hydrophobicity, and the introduction of orthogonal reactive handles for ligand conjugation. This review addresses that gap. After surveying NC types, preparation routes, target pollutants, and adsorbent architectures (hydrogels, membranes, and aerogels), it provides a critical, water-remediation-focused analysis of NC isocyanate chemistry: the carbamation mechanism and competing side reactions, the reactivity of aromatic versus aliphatic isocyanates, site-selectivity in TDI and IPDI, structure-property relationships, documented applications in oil-water separation, dye removal, and heavy-metal sorption, and the role of isocyanates as molecular bridges in multifunctional composites. The toxicological profiles of diisocyanates and emerging non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) alternatives are critically assessed, and the principal research gaps and priorities are identified.
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BibTeX
@article{altynov2026nanocellulosebased,
title = {{Nanocellulose-based adsorbents for water remediation: role of surface functionalisation and isocyanate chemistry.}},
author = {Yerkebulan Altynov and Dana Ashiraliyeva and Bibigul Rakhimova and Aidyn Kazhmuratov and Altynbek Kazez and Kalampyr Bexeitova and Seitkhan Azat and Kenes Kudaibergenov},
journal = {Nanoscale advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1039/d6na00619a},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909937},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Nanocellulose-based adsorbents for water remediation: role of surface functionalisation and isocyanate chemistry.
AU - Yerkebulan Altynov
AU - Dana Ashiraliyeva
AU - Bibigul Rakhimova
AU - Aidyn Kazhmuratov
AU - Altynbek Kazez
AU - Kalampyr Bexeitova
AU - Seitkhan Azat
AU - Kenes Kudaibergenov
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - Nanoscale advances
DO - 10.1039/d6na00619a
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909937
AB - Water contamination by synthetic dyes, heavy metals, and emerging micropollutants has intensified the search for sustainable, high-performance adsorbents. Nanocellulose (NC) - available as cellulose nanocrystals, nanofibrils, and bacterial nanocellulose - has become a leading bio-based platform for water remediation owing to its high specific surface area, abundant surface hydroxyl groups, and amenability to chemical modification. The performance of NC sorbents is governed largely by surface functionalisation, yet existing reviews treat the available modification chemistries unevenly. In particular, isocyanate (carbamation) chemistry is almost invariably reduced to a single entry in a list of modification methods, despite being one of the few strategies able to combine, within a single platform, covalent crosslinking, tunable surface hydrophobicity, and the introduction of orthogonal reactive handles for ligand conjugation. This review addresses that gap. After surveying NC types, preparation routes, target pollutants, and adsorbent architectures (hydrogels, membranes, and aerogels), it provides a critical, water-remediation-focused analysis of NC isocyanate chemistry: the carbamation mechanism and competing side reactions, the reactivity of aromatic versus aliphatic isocyanates, site-selectivity in TDI and IPDI, structure-property relationships, documented applications in oil-water separation, dye removal, and heavy-metal sorption, and the role of isocyanates as molecular bridges in multifunctional composites. The toxicological profiles of diisocyanates and emerging non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) alternatives are critically assessed, and the principal research gaps and priorities are identified.
SN - 2516-0230
ER -