Preparation of Nanocellulose from Coffee Pulp and Its Potential as a Polymer Reinforcement.

Coffee is one of the most valued agricultural products regarding its high commercialization rate. During the production of coffee beans, coffee pulp is obtained as one of the main byproducts with a cellulose content of more than 30% of dry weight. This research focused on the value-added potential of coffee pulp fiber as the reinforcement in composite materials. The nanocellulose coffee pulp (NCP) from the coffee pulp (CP) was prepared and subsequently used as a filler to reinforce the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix for the improvement of PVA composite properties. The CP was treated via alkali and bleaching treatment before the production of NCP using the acid hydrolysis treatment. The TEM result of NCP showed the successful preparation of NCP with an average diameter of 16.03 ± 4.70 nm with increasing crystallinity size and crystallinity index. The effect of glycerol (G) in the PVA matrix was observed. The result showed that glycerol had a play-role as a plasticizer for increased flexibility and decreased hardness and brittleness of PVA nanocomposite film. The nanocomposite film of PVA/G/NCP was fabricated with various ratios of NCP through the casting method. It was shown that the physical properties were improved with the presence of NCP in the PVA matrix compared to the neat PVA film.

Soft template-assisted copper-doped sodium dititanate nanosheet/graphene oxide heterostructure for photoreduction of carbon dioxide to liquid fuels.

Photoreduction of CO2 to a high-value product is an interesting approach that not only captures CO2 but also converts it into other products that can be sold or used in industry. The mechanism for the CO2 conversion relies strongly on photo-generated electrons that further couple with CO2 and form active radicals for the reaction. In this research, we synthesized a heterostructure of copper-doped sodium dititanate nanosheets and graphene oxide (CTGN) following a one-step hydrothermal process with assistance from a sodium hydroxide soft template. The role of the template here is to facilitate the formation of the nanosheets, creating the nanosheet-graphene 2D-2D heterostructure. The heterostructure yields excellent charge mobility and a low charge recombination rate, while the nanosheet-graphene interfaces house active radicals and stabilize intermediates. The CTGN exhibits an outstanding photoactivity in the photoreduction of CO2, producing liquid fuels, including acetone, methanol, ethanol and i-propanol.