TEMPO-oxidized Cellulose Nanofibers- based Membranes for Water Purification

The thesis investigates cellulose nanofiber as a building block for the fabrication of advanced membranes for water desalination and purification. Cellulose nanofiber has many advantages as a sustainable natural polymer over other synthetic materials, including non-toxicity, low cost and functionality. The thesis demonstrates that cellulose nanofiber can be effectively used to form a membrane selective layer or as a nano-additive of nanocomposite membranes. The resulting membranes show excellent performance in water desalination and removal of organic pollutants such as dyes from water. Therefore, the thesis advances membrane design using a natural material for sustainable water technologies.