Lu, QingyeWang, Yecan2020-01-202020-01-202020-01-10Wang, Y. (2020). Dendrimer Functionalized Nanocrystalline Cellulose for Environmental Applications (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.http://hdl.handle.net/1880/111526Environmental problems such as air pollution and water contamination are the current challenges requiring the desire to develop pollutant removal methodology. Adsorption is considered as a simple and low-cost method with high efficiency launched in various industrial applications. Therefore, it is urgent for human beings to discover useful, sustainable, economic and nontoxic adsorbents to facilitate this technology. Production of composites using nanocrystalline celluloses (NCCs), a biodegradable polymer obtained from the nature, as the support might be able to improve their existing properties, increase their functionality and expand their application scope. To explore the functionality of the NCC-poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (PAMAM) composites in environmental applications, a series of PAMAM functionalized NCC composites (i.e., different generations of PAMAM, G1 to G4) were prepared. In this work, carboxylated NCC (NCC-COOH) was obtained by 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxyl (TEMPO) oxidation of NCC, which was reacted with ethylenediamine (EDA) to give aminated NCC (NCC-NH2). Then PAMAM dendrimer functionalization to the surface of NCC-NH2 was accomplished by first Michael addition (alkylated with methyl acrylate) and then ester amidation with EDA. These composites were characterized by FTIR, XPS, XRD, TGA and TEM as well as elemental analysis. The resulting products were evaluated as advanced environmental materials, by testing their CO2 capture capacities at different temperatures and copper ions removal efficiency from simulated wastewater. Their performance in CO2 adsorption under dry conditions and Cu2+ removal from water solutions indicated that the second generation of PAMAM functionalized NCC (NCC-2.0 PAMAM) showed a CO2 adsorption capacity of 13.31±0.38 mg/g at 25°C and a Cu2+ adsorption capacity of 92.07 mg/g at 25 °C. Compared with unmodified NCC, PAMAM functionalized NCCs show increased adsorption capacity. The study shows that the PAMAM-dendrimer functionalized NCCs are great materials for environmental applications.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.Engineering--ChemicalMaterials Sciencemaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/37478