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Highly efficient adsorption of Cu2+ and Cr6+ by polyethyleneimine-modified nanocellulose from sunflower stem pith

  • Zhiyun Sun , Tianqi Feng , Chen Yan , Shijing Sun , Guanyu Wu , Xin Zhou EMAIL logo and Jing Luo EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: July 28, 2025
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Journal of Polymer Engineering
From the journal Journal of Polymer Engineering Volume 45 Issue 9

Abstract

Sunflower stem pith-derived cellulose (SSPC) and nanocellulose (TOCN) were modified with polyethyleneimine (PEI) to enhance their adsorption of Cu2+ and Cr6+. PEI modification significantly enhanced the adsorption capacity for Cu2+, increasing it by 5.2 times compared to pure cellulose. Meanwhile, TOCN-PEI exhibited superior adsorption performance for Cr6+, attributed to its higher PEI graft density compared to SSPC. The adsorption kinetics were best described by the pseudo-second-order model, while the Langmuir isotherm model provided the best fit for equilibrium data, indicating monolayer adsorption. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the adsorption process was exothermic (ΔH0 < 0) and less favorable at elevated temperatures. After five adsorption/desorption cycles, TOCN-PEI retained approximately 63.0 % of its initial adsorption efficiency, demonstrating reusability. Overall, TOCN-PEI is a promising adsorbent for Cu2+ and Cr6+ removal, offering exceptionally high Cu2+ adsorption capacity (217.3 mg/g), effective Cr6+ removal (196.7 mg/g), and good reusability.

Keywords: sunflower stem pith; nanocellulose; polyethyleneimine; adsorption; heavy metal
Corresponding authors: Xin Zhou, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China; and Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China, E-mail: ; and Jing Luo, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China; and School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, 213001, China, E-mail:

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Youth Program) (BK20210610), the Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (SJCX23_0339), the Nanjing Forestry University student innovation training program project (202410298015Z), and Qing Lan Project of Jiangsu Province, PR China.

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  3. Author contributions: Zhiyun Sun: investigation, formal analysis, methodology, writing – review & editing. Tianqi Feng: methodology, investigation. Chen Yan: conceptualization, methodology, software. Shijing Sun: writing – review & editing. Guanyu Wu: validation, writing – review & editing. Xin Zhou: conceptualization, resources, supervision, writing – review & editing. Guanyu Wu: validation, writing – review & editing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.

  5. Conflict of interest: All other authors state no conflict of interest.

  6. Research funding: None declared.

  7. Data availability: Not applicable.

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Supplementary Material

This article contains supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/polyeng-2025-0089).

Received: 2025-05-20
Accepted: 2025-07-07
Published Online: 2025-07-28
Published in Print: 2025-10-27

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Material Properties
  3. Recent advances in magnetorheological materials and applications in robots and medical devices
  4. High performance poly ceramic hybrid composite featured with carbon fiber
  5. Laser transmission welding of ABS polymers: a systematic study of parameter-quality correlations and interfacial morphology
  6. Preparation and Assembly
  7. Highly efficient adsorption of Cu2+ and Cr6+ by polyethyleneimine-modified nanocellulose from sunflower stem pith
  8. Integrating low dielectric constant and high thermal conductivity into composite films for 5G circuit package substrate
  9. Engineering and Processing
  10. Injection molding of complex hollow products using an eco-friendly salt core technique
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https://doi.org/10.1515/polyeng-2025-0089
Keywords for this article
sunflower stem pith; nanocellulose; polyethyleneimine; adsorption; heavy metal

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Material Properties
  3. Recent advances in magnetorheological materials and applications in robots and medical devices
  4. High performance poly ceramic hybrid composite featured with carbon fiber
  5. Laser transmission welding of ABS polymers: a systematic study of parameter-quality correlations and interfacial morphology
  6. Preparation and Assembly
  7. Highly efficient adsorption of Cu2+ and Cr6+ by polyethyleneimine-modified nanocellulose from sunflower stem pith
  8. Integrating low dielectric constant and high thermal conductivity into composite films for 5G circuit package substrate
  9. Engineering and Processing
  10. Injection molding of complex hollow products using an eco-friendly salt core technique
  11. Utilization of agro-waste-derived cellulose for eco-friendly hydrogel production in irrigation management
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