Synthesis of microcrystalline cellulose from banana pseudo-stem for adsorption of organics from aqueous solution

In this study, we proposed and tested a green method for producing microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) with high quality from waste banana pseudo-stem (BPS) after fruit harvesting. The MCC was synthesized by treating BPS with sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, and H2O2solution.The produced MCC material was then characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis to explore its properties. The removal of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution was conducted by batch adsorption method to evaluate the applicability of MCC for wastewater treatment. The results showed that the adsorption using MCC reached equilibrium after 15 min. The highest MB adsorption capacity of MCC reached 16.6mg/g at pH 6. The adsorption kinetics data were best described by the pseudo second order rate equation. Equilibrium isotherm data of adsorption were well fitted to the linear Langmuir isotherm model. Affecting factors such as adsorbent dosage, initial concentration of MB, and temperature were also investigated. These results suggest a great potential use of MCC for advanced wastewater treatment