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  • Simple Freeze-Drying Procedure for Producing Nanocellulose Aerogel-Containing, High-Performance Air Filters.

Simple Freeze-Drying Procedure for Producing Nanocellulose Aerogel-Containing, High-Performance Air Filters.

ACS applied materials & interfaces (2015-08-25)
Junji Nemoto, Tsuguyuki Saito, Akira Isogai
ABSTRACT

Simple freeze-drying of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofibril (TOCN) dispersions in water/tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) mixtures was conducted to prepare TOCN aerogels as high-performance air filter components. The dispersibility of the TOCNs in the water/TBA mixtures, and the specific surface area (SSA) of the resulting TOCN aerogels, was investigated as a function of the TBA concentration in the mixtures. The TOCNs were homogeneously dispersed in the water/TBA mixtures at TBA concentrations up to 40% w/w. The SSAs of the TOCN aerogels exceeded 300 m2/g when the TBA concentration in the aqueous mixtures was in the range from 20% to 50% w/w. When a commercially available, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter was combined with TOCN/water/TBA dispersions prepared using 30% TBA, and the product was freeze-dried, the resulting TOCN aerogel-containing filters showed superior filtration properties. This was because nanoscale, spider-web-like networks of the TOCNs with large SSAs were formed within the filter.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
2-Thiobarbituric acid, ≥98%
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium bromide, BioXtra, ≥99.0%
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium bromide, ≥99.99% trace metals basis
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium bromide, BioUltra, ≥99.0% (AT)
Sigma-Aldrich
Sodium bromide, anhydrous, free-flowing, Redi-Dri, ACS reagent, ≥99%
Sigma-Aldrich
tert-Butanol, anhydrous, ≥99.5%
Sigma-Aldrich
TEMPO, purified by sublimation, 99%
Sigma-Aldrich
TEMPO, 98%