Cellulose-Based Hydrogel in Water Purification

Due to water contamination, water scarcity has grown to be a major global concern. As a result, the advancement of efficient and sustainable water filtering techniques has attracted a lot of attention. Three-dimensional polymeric networks called hydrogels having a great capacity to absorb water emerged as promising materials for applications in water purification. Cellulose, a renewable and biodegradable polysaccharide most abundant in nature, is one of the viable sources for hydrogel formation. There are various sources of cellulose such as plants, agro-waste, microbes, biomass. The physicochemical properties of cellulose, including its high mechanical strength, abundant functional groups and hydrophilicity, contribute to the exceptional performance of cellulose-based hydrogels in water purification techniques. The structural alterations of the cellulose by crosslinking have a substantial impact on its properties such as porosity, swelling, mechanical, tensile strength which eventually impact its water purification capacities. The hydrogels derived from cellulose possess an excellent affinity for eliminating harmful contaminants from water like heavy metals, ions, dyes, organic waste, etc.