Cellulose biotemplates for layered double hydroxides networks

• Maiden attempt to explore the ability of cellulose for its use as biotemplates for inorganic materials.
• Porous layered double hydroxides with network structures were produced in short time.
• Increase in biotemplate was directly proportional to the surface area and pore specific volume of LDH materials.
• As an inexpensive and naturally occurring source, cellulose can be extended to other inorganic materials for its templating action.
• Higher absorption efficiency of 3.4 mmol/g achieved for templated LDH having high surface area 152 m2/g.

Synthesis of porous network structures of layered double hydroxides (LDH) has been studied using microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as a hard template. LDH was synthesized using cellulose as biotemplate and post treated by microwave hydrothermal treatment (MWHT). The prepared LDHs were thoroughly characterized by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) studies, and Thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis, which proved the formation of LDH structure in the presence and absence of MCC as templates. The morphological structures of the composite materials were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), which showed that the LDH formed in the presence of cellulose had porous network structures, while LDH particles synthesized in the absence of the MCC exhibited a hexagonal platelet-like morphology. Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) measurements confirmed the presence of essential elements in the particles. TEM showed the fibrillar nature and size reduction of the particles. The surface area of the material was measured by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, exhibiting a twofold increase in surface area and increased specific pore volume in comparison with particles synthesized in absence of cellulose and thus showcasing the potential of MCC as templates for production of porous LDH with high surface area (152 m2/g). Further, the adsorption capacities of the materials were evaluated with orange II dye.

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