Recent advances in cellulose- and alginate-based hydrogels for water and wastewater treatment: A review

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers Vol. 323; p. 121339
• Main Authors: Radoor, Sabarish, Karayil, Jasila, Jayakumar, Aswathy, Kandel, Dharma Raj, Kim, Jun Tae, Siengchin, Suchart, Lee, Jaewoo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2024
• Subjects: Adsorption; alginates; biocompatibility; biodegradability; cellulose; crosslinking; Filtration; hydrogels; hydrophilicity; nanoparticles; Pollutants; polymers; Polysaccharides; prices; Removal mechanisms; wastewater; wastewater treatment; water pollution; Polysaccharides; Filtration; Removal mechanisms; Adsorption; Pollutants
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121339

From the environmental perspective, it is essential to develop cheap, eco-friendly, and highly efficient materials for water and wastewater treatment. In this regard, hydrogels and hydrogel-based composites have been widely employed to mitigate global water pollution as this methodology is simple and free from harmful by-products. Notably, alginate and cellulose, which are natural carbohydrate polymers, have gained great attention for their availability, price competitiveness, excellent biodegradability, biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, and superior physicochemical performance in water treatment. This review outlined the recent progress in developing and applying alginate- and cellulose-based hydrogels to remove various pollutants such as dyes, heavy metals, oils, pharmaceutical contaminants, and pesticides from wastewater streams. This review also highlighted the effects of various physical or chemical methods, such as crosslinking, grafting, the addition of fillers, nanoparticle incorporation, and polymer blending, on the physiochemical and adsorption properties of hydrogels. In addition, this review covered the alginate- and cellulose-based hydrogels' current limitations such as low mechanical performance and poor stability, while presenting strategies to improve the drawbacks of the hydrogels. Lastly, we discussed the prospects and future directions of alginate- and cellulose-based hydrogels. We hope this review provides valuable insights into the efficient preparations and applications of hydrogels. [Display omitted] •The review focuses on polysaccharide-based hydrogels (PBHs) for water treatment.•Alginate and cellulose were addressed as materials for PBHs to treat wastewater.•Recent progresses in dye and toxic metal removal using PBH have been reviewed.•Challenges and future prospects of PBH adsorbents for water treatment were discussed.•The design and performance of novel PBH filtration membranes were introduced.