Preparation of mycelium paper sheets and study on their adsorption properties
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Weifeng Chen
and
Xiwen Wang
Abstract
With the progression of society, aquatic pollution has intensified, prompting a search for greener materials for wastewater treatment. Here, we present a mycelium-based paper developed via alkaline deacetylation of fungal mycelial fibers to chitosan, followed by vacuum filtration, and reinforcement with long plant fibers to enhance mechanical performance. The resulting mycelium–paper composite exhibits a highly dense structure, with very low air permeability (0.42 mL/min), tensile strength of approximately 14 MPa, and tear resistance up to 1,384 mN. In filtration tests, a single pass of 30 mg/L Cu2+ solution yielded a removal efficiency of 98 %, corresponding to an adsorption capacity of 8.75 mg/g; for methylene blue dye, the adsorption capacity was 7.42 mg/g. Compared to conventional cellulose-based powder adsorbents, which often suffer from material loss and require post-treatment, the mycelial paper can be formed directly into membrane-like filters, simplifying handling. Furthermore, this mycelial membrane displayed strong adsorption across various heavy metal ions and dyes, underscoring its significant potential for sustainable water purification.
Acknowledgments
Mr. Yin (Analytical & Testing Center of South China University of Technology) was acknowledged to provide characterizations.
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Research ethics: Not applicable.
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Informed consent: Not applicable – no individual participants were involved in this study.
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Author contributions: Weifeng Chen contributed to methodology, writing-original draft, investigation and conceptualization; Xiwen Wang contributed to supervision, conceptualization and formal analysis.
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Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: Large Language Models, Artificial Intelligence, or Machine Learning Tools (e.g., ChatGPT) were used in [describe purpose, e.g., language editing or figure generation]. The authors retained full control and responsibility for all content. Such tools are not credited as authors and do not take responsibility for the work.
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Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Research funding: This research received no external funding.
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Data availability: Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Chemical Pulping
- Alkali-extracted spruce bark residues for pulping and making of pulp sheets
- Applications of cationic bamboo fibers for the effective reinforcements of secondary fibers
- Paper Technology
- Improving hydrophobicity and mechanical strength of rice straw paper using chitosan nanoparticles and beeswax coatings
- Extended wet pressing at elevated temperature enables enhanced dewatering for tissue and linerboard
- Tissue paper from cabbage leaf – waste paper mixtures
- Inhibition of hornification in simao pine fibers and recycled paper with different beating degrees by microwave expansion treatment
- Preparation of mycelium paper sheets and study on their adsorption properties
- Paper Physics
- Influence of the hybrid effect on the mechanical properties of pulp molds
- Paper Chemistry
- Response surface methodology optimization and anti-age properties in paper protection of carboxymethyl cellulose grafted with β –cyclodextrin
- Printing
- Green innovations in natural paper ink: trends, applications, and future prospects
- Packaging
- Advanced moisture strategy for expanded formability in paper-based packaging
- Production of packaging paper from Populus deltoides NSSC pulp reinforced with rice straw cellulose nanofibrils
- Environmental Impact
- Treatment of regenerated papermaking wastewater by sequencing batch moving bed biofilm reactor and kinetics study
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Chemical Pulping
- Alkali-extracted spruce bark residues for pulping and making of pulp sheets
- Applications of cationic bamboo fibers for the effective reinforcements of secondary fibers
- Paper Technology
- Improving hydrophobicity and mechanical strength of rice straw paper using chitosan nanoparticles and beeswax coatings
- Extended wet pressing at elevated temperature enables enhanced dewatering for tissue and linerboard
- Tissue paper from cabbage leaf – waste paper mixtures
- Inhibition of hornification in simao pine fibers and recycled paper with different beating degrees by microwave expansion treatment
- Preparation of mycelium paper sheets and study on their adsorption properties
- Paper Physics
- Influence of the hybrid effect on the mechanical properties of pulp molds
- Paper Chemistry
- Response surface methodology optimization and anti-age properties in paper protection of carboxymethyl cellulose grafted with β –cyclodextrin
- Printing
- Green innovations in natural paper ink: trends, applications, and future prospects
- Packaging
- Advanced moisture strategy for expanded formability in paper-based packaging
- Production of packaging paper from Populus deltoides NSSC pulp reinforced with rice straw cellulose nanofibrils
- Environmental Impact
- Treatment of regenerated papermaking wastewater by sequencing batch moving bed biofilm reactor and kinetics study
