Exfoliation of graphite by cellulose nanofibres for potential applications in environmental remediation

Abstract

In this thesis, the unique properties of cellulose nanofibres (CNF) have been explored for environmental remediation. CNF was prepared from microcrystalline cellulose by simple acid hydrolysis. The amphiphilic nature of CNF was taken advantage for exfoliation of graphite and stabilization of the resulting multi-layer graphene sheets. The resulting CNF-graphene (CNF-G) composite offered superior properties over the individual counterparts. The composite was employed for removal of dyes by adsorption and as a catalyst for degradation of 4-nitrophenol in aqueous medium.