Advanced fabrication and oil absorption properties of super-hydrophobic recycled cellulose aerogels

• For the first time, paper waste is converted into a green cellulose aerogel by an advanced and cost-effective method.
• The material has high oil absorption capacities of 40–95 times of its weight.
• The material shows stable superhydrophobicity over five months.
• Cellulose fiber concentration affects significantly the oil absorption capability of aerogel.
• The maximum absorption capacity of the aerogel is achieved at 50 °C.

A facile and cost-effective synthesis method of biocompatible cellulose aerogels using recycled cellulose fibers of paper waste and Kymene crosslinker is successfully developed for the first time. After coated with methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) via chemical vapor deposition, the recycled cellulose aerogels yields very stable super-hydrophobicity for over five months and excellent oil absorption capacities of up to 95 g g−1 with the 0.25 wt.% cellulose aerogel. Effects of different cellulose fiber concentrations, different ratios of the cellulose and Kymene cross-linker composition, ambient temperatures and pH values of the environment on the oil absorption behavior of the cellulose aerogels are also quantified comprehensively. The experimental results show the cellulose aerogels yield the maximum absorption capacity at 50 °C. Compared to the pseudo first-order model, the pseudo second-order model is more validated for the oil absorption kinetics study. The recycled cellulose aerogels are promising for replacing earth-unfriendly polymer-based oil sorbents due to their high oil absorption capacities.

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