Wood By-Products as UV Protection:A Consequence Review

In recent decades,the ozone layer has suffered considerable damage,increasing the entry of ultraviolet(UV)light into the atmosphere and reaching the earth’s surface,negatively affecting life.Accordingly,researchers aimed to solve this problem by synthesizing advanced UV-shielding materials.On the other hand,developing an easy and green strategy to prepare functional materials with outstanding properties based on naturally abundant and environmentally friendly raw materials is highly desirable for sustainable development.Because biomass-derived materials are sustainable and biodegradable,they present a promising substitute for petroleum-based polymers.The three main structural constituents of the plant biomass-based materials that are naturally available are cellulose,hemicellulose,and lignin.This review details current developments using wood-based products such as cellulose,hemicellulose,and lignin in UV-shielding applications.It will start with assembling the structure and chemistry of cellulose,hemicellulose,and lignin,followed by their contributions to preparing UV-shielding materials.Finally,it will briefly discuss the different processing methods for the design of UV-shielding materials.The wood by-products offer additional opportunities to use the whole tree harvest.

Development of Magnetite/Graphene Oxide Hydrogels from Agricultural Wastes for Water Treatment

A novel magnetic hydrogel loaded with graphene oxide(GO)was developed in this study.Firstly,GO was prepared from bagasse through a single step via oxidation in the presence of ferrocene under muffled atmospheric conditions,followed by the loading of different amounts of magnetite onto GO via co-precipitation reaction of iron onto GO sheets.Finally,the 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid was grafted onto carboxymethyl cellulose in the presence of magnetite GO and N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide as crosslinker yielded hydrogel.The structure,morphological,and thermal behavior of the prepared hydrogels were investigated.In addition,the adsorption performance of Ni(Ⅱ)ions from aqueous media by the prepared hydrogels was investigated as a function of temperature,time,and concentration of adsorbate in a batch system.The results demonstrated a remarkable enhancement in the adsorption process of Ni(Ⅱ)(Removal efficiency=98.82%).All isotherms were found to fit the Langmuir model best.The adsorption properties of both magnetic GO and magnetic hydrogel showed promising properties as green and cheap adsorbents.

Removal of Cu(II),Pb(II),Mg(II),and Fe(II) by Adsorption onto Alginate/Nanocellulose Beads as Bio-Sorbent

Alginate blended with cellulose nanocrystals(CNC),cellulose nanofibers(CNF),and tri-carboxylate cellulose nanofibers(TPC-CNF)prepared and encapsulated in the form of microcapsules(bio-polymeric beads).The cellulosic nanomaterials that used in this study were investigated as nanomaterials for wastewater treatment applications.Batch experiments were performed to study the removal of copper,lead,magnesium,and iron from aqueous solutions by the prepared beads.The effects of the sorbent dosage and the modified polymers on the removing efficiency of the metal cations were examined.Atomic absorption was used to measure the metal ions concentrations.The modified bio-polymeric beads(Alg-CNF,Alg-CNC,and Alg-TPC-CNF)exhibited high-efficiency towards removing of the metal cations;Cu^(2+),Pb^(2+),Mg^(2+),and Fe^(2+).The Alg-TPC-CNF composite was exhibited excellent removing efficiency which around 95%for Pb,92%for Cu,43%for Fe and 54%for Mg.These outcomes affirm that the utilization of nanomaterials giving higher adsorption capacities contrasted with similar material in its micro or macrostructure form.

Electroconductive Composites Containing Nanocellulose,Nanopolypyrrole,and Silver Nanoparticles

In this work,conducting composites of nanocellulose(NC)/polypyrrole nanoparticles(NPPy)and silver nanoparticles(AgNPs),i.e.,NC/NPPyAg,were synthesized for the first time,to the best of our knowledge,via in situ emulsion polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of surfactant dopants.The AgNPs acted as an oxidizing agent to simultaneously incorporate nanoparticles into the prepared composites.The structures and morphologies of the prepared composites were studied using Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction(XRD),UV-Vis Spectra,thermogravimetric analysis(TGA),and scanning and transmission electron microscopy(SEM and TEM)techniques.Additionally,the prepared composites were characterized by their conductivities,and the dielectric constants(e΄),dielectric losses(e˝),and AC conductivities were studied for the prepared composites with an increasing NPPy content as a function of the frequency.

Preparation and Characterization of Eco-friendly Carboxymethyl Cellulose Antimicrobial Nanocomposite Hydrogels

Carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels were developed through crosslinking process using eco-friendly crosslinkers such as maleic,succinic,and citric acids.Carboxymethyl cellulose was prepared from the cellulosic fraction of olive industry residues.A series of hydrogels with varying crosslinker acid concentrations,reaction times,and reaction temperatures was produced to study the swelling capacities and gel fraction of the obtained hydrogels.Additional study pertains to the preparation of antimicrobial nanocomposite hydrogels through in-situ incorporation of the silver nanoparticles during the crosslinking reaction.Silver nanoparticles were prepared by reduction of AgNO3 with leaves of Ricinus communis.The particle size of prepared silver nanoparticles was detected by transmission electron microscopy(TEM).Chemical structure and morphological characterizations of the prepared hydrogels were performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX).Finally,the antimicrobial activity of the loaded silver hydrogels against Gram negative(G-ve),Gram positive(G+ve),and Candida albicans yeast was demonstrated.

Multi-Technique Characterization and Conservation of an Ancient Egyptian Fabric from King Khufu First Solar Ship

Textiles are among the most fragile artefacts in the world. They are difficult to preserve even in the best circumstances. Herein, we studied an artefacts fabric of a special nature in terms of usage. Despite the multiple applications of textiles, the piece understudy is one of the unique pieces that the ancient Egyptian used as fenders for King Khufu’s first solar boat, the second-largest discovery in Egypt history. The boat was discovered inside a limestone pit. It was disassembled and arranged in several layers. Four pillows of wrapped fabric were found in the first layer, which was used as boat fenders. This use is a great discovery of the role of textiles in the manufacture of ancient boats. Thus, we conducted tests and analytical studies of those fenders using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and an optical microscope to identify the type and nature of fibers, spinning method, and aspects of damage. Both energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and infrared analysis (FT-IR) were employed to explore the sample’s elemental content and study the functional groups of the fabric. These analytical processes were useful in carrying out the restoration and preservation work necessary for the artefact under study.