Abstract
This work aimed to study the use of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) from coir husk fibers to develop nanocomposite hydrogels. Cellulose and lignin were obtained from coir husk using the steam explosion pretreatment, followed by alkaline-ethanol-water pretreatment and bleaching process. CNFs from coir husk fibers were obtained using a high-speed blender on cellulose pulp previously oxidized with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO). Poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA) was used as a matrix material to produce novel nanocomposite hydrogels reinforced with CNFs by a facile synthesis method. The compression modulus of PDMA/CNF hydrogels increased significantly when compared to PDMA hydrogel. The water-retention and nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) (NPK) fertilizer release studies indicated that the addition of CNFs considerably improved the water-retention capacity but reduced the nutrient loading capacity of the hydrogel. All the prepared nanocomposite hydrogels had significantly improved mechanical performance. Our study provides a facile and green route to produce CNFs and lignin. Furthermore, nanocomposite hydrogels with tunable properties for potential agriculture applications were prepared by homogeneously dispersing cellulose nanoparticles in PDMA.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by CAPES, INOMAT, FUNCAP (PR2-0101-00023.01.00/15), CNPq (405766/2013-0), PRONEX, and the Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Science and Graphic Arts (LGP2, Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble, France). They thank the Central Analítica-UFC/CT-INFRA/MCTI-SIS-NANO/Pró-Equipamentos CAPES for the SEM micrographs, as well as Dr. C. Muniz for STEM micrographs and Dr. F. Avelino for NMR spectra. We also thank the CNPq for the Research Productivity Fellowships granted to authors Leitão, Feitosa and Rosa. LGP2 is part of the LabEx Tec 21 (Investissements d’Avenir-grant agreement n°ANR-11-LABX-0030) and of the PolyNat Carnot Institut (Investissements d’Avenir-grant agreement n°ANR-11-CARN-030-01).
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do Nascimento, D.M., Nunes, Y.L., de Almeida, J.S. et al. Development of an integrated process to produce CNFs and lignin and its potential applications for agrochemical delivery. Cellulose 28, 10891–10904 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-021-04200-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-021-04200-2