Metallo-Terpyridine-Modified Cellulose Nanofiber Membranes for Papermaking Wastewater Purification

Metallo-terpyridine compounds and polymers exhibit unique optical, electrical, magnetic and antimicrobial properties. Recently, metallo-terpyridine-modified cellulosic films with interesting porous structure, that exhibit these properties, have been prepared. Herein we report the use of Cu-terpyridine-modified oxidized cellulose nanofibers (OXCNF-Cu-Tpy) as membranes for treatment of effluents of paper mills to produce re-usable water. The OXCNF-Cu-Tpy was prepared by modification of TEMPO-oxidized CNF (OXCNF) using copper(II) complex of 4′-Chloro [2,2′:6′,2″] terpyridine. The modification was proven by elemental analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The prepared OXCNF-Cu-Tpy was also characterized using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The prepared membranes were evaluated regarding their microscopic structure using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, contact angle measurement, water flux and rejection of sub-micron size suspended particles in papermaking wastewater effluent. Chemical modification of OXCNF with the Cu-Tpy groups significantly increased pure water flux of the membranes by about 52 and 194% depending on pressure used during filtration (0.5 and 1 MPa, respectively). Although both OXCNF and OXCNF-Cu-Tpy exhibited high efficiency in removing the sub-micron size suspended particles from wastewater effluent, OXCNF-Cu-Tpy membranes showed about 30% higher flux rate than OXCNF membranes.