THE SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERISATION, AND ADSORPTION STUDY OF NOVEL 4-ETHYL-3-THISEMICARBAZONE MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE

Cellulose is a linear glucose polymer manufacturable from various sources via different methods. Under the right conditions, small amounts of cellulose are transformed into derivatives that could be utilised to produce numerous commercial products. The selective cleavage of the C2-C3 bonds in anhydroglucose units in cellulose chains with a strong oxidant, namely sodium periodate (NaIO4), produces dialdehyde cellulose (DAC). In the present study, DAC was reacted with 4-ethyl-3-thiosemicarbazide to produce 4-ethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone microcrystalline cellulose (TSCMCC). The structures of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), DAC, and TSCMCC were characterised through FTIR, FESEM-EDX, XRD, and TGA. The ʋ(C=O) stretching band observed at 1728 cm−1 proved that DAC was successfully formed, while the bands at 1632 and 1225 cm−1 were correlated to ʋ(C=N) and ʋ(C=S) in TSCMCC. The FESEM revealed that the MCC were in bundles arrangement, the DAC was rod-shaped, and TSCMCC was needle-like. The EDX analysis showed sulphur (S) and nitrogen (N) atoms were present only in the TSCMCC. TSCMCC recorded the largest crystallite compared to MCC and DAC. Moreover, the TGA results exhibited that TSCMCC had lower thermal stability than MCC but higher than DAC. The zinc(II) ion adsorption capabilities of TSCMCC were assessed with ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) fitted with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms