Fluorescent nanocellulose-based hydrogel incorporating titanate nanofibers for sorption and detection of Cr(VI)

Chromium pollution is a major environmental concern; thus, effective and multifunctional adsorbents for removing the Cr(VI) ion are urgently needed. A fluorescent nanocellulose-based hydrogel (FNH) incorporating titanate nanofibers (TNs) was developed for the sorption and detection of Cr(VI) ion. The chemical and physical structures of the hydrogels, as well as their sorption and detection properties, were studied. The predicted maximum adsorption capacity and the lowest detection limit of FNH were 648.4 mg/g and 0.039 μg/L, respectively. Furthermore, the sorption and detection mechanisms of FNH were discussed in detail. These results showed that the excellent sorption and detection might be mainly attributed to the three-dimensional (3D) porous structure constructed by TNs and cellulose nanocrystals modified with carbon dots, which improved the sorption ability and provided the rapid visual response to Cr(VI). Furthermore, cost analysis showed that FNH was cheaper than activated carbon in removing the Cr(VI) ion. This work established a facile technique in developing low-cost and multifunctional adsorbents.