Production of a new hybrid cationic cellulose microfiber (cCMF) and CuNPs as a catalytic agent applied on Congo Red dye photodegradation

• Grant number: 22/00439-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 08, 2022
• End date: May 07, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Aldo Eloizo Job
• Grantee: Maria Vitória Guimarães Leal
• Supervisor: Igor Orlando Osorio Roman
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Presidente Prudente. Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh), Chile
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/09773-9 - Production of cationic cellulose microfibers (CMF) and its application on removal of congo red dye from wastewater, BP.IC

Abstract

This research project internship abroad (BEPE) is related to the undergraduate students in scientific initiation project (FAPESP 2021/09773-9), that involves Congo Red dye (CR) adsorption from wastewater using cationic cellulose microfibers (cCMF) produced from agro-industrial waste generated by sugarcane industry. This BEPE proposal is being presented to complement the Brazilian project. Here, we propose for the first time in literature the synthesis in situ of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) on the cationic cellulose microfibers surface (cCMF), creating a new hybrid material (cCMF/CuNPs) with the ability to photodegrade the CR by the catalytic activity of the metallic nanoparticle. The materials will be characterized by different techniques to understand its behavior. The photodegradation process will be analyzed by spectrofluorometer, which can help the research group to strengthen the new research line about water decontamination using cellulose and cellulose/inorganic materials. For this purpose, we will collaborate with Dr. Igor Osório Roman from Instituto de Ciências Químicas (ICQ), Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh), Chile, a specialist in the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles and fluorescence properties, with whom our Research Group wishes to establish an important collaboration. (AU)