Exploring the role of nanocellulose as potential sustainable material for enhanced oil recovery:New paradigm for a circular economy

Presently, due to growing global energy demand and depletion of existing oil reservoirs, oil industry is focussing on development of novel and effective ways to enhance crude oil recovery and exploration of new oil reserves, which are typically found in challenging environment and require deep drilling in high temperature and high-pressure regime. The nanocelluloses with numerous advantages such as high temperature and pressure stability, ecofriendly nature, excellent rheology modifying ability, interfacial tension reduction capability, etc., have shown a huge potential in oil recovery over conventional chemicals and macro/micro sized biopolymers-based approach. In present review, an attempt has been made to thoroughly investigate the potential of nanocellulose (cellulose nanocrystals/nanofibers) in development of drilling fluid and in enhancement of oil recovery. The impact of various factors such as nanocellulose shape, charge density, inter-particle or inter-fibers interactions after surface functionalization, rheometer geometries, additives, post processing techniques, etc., which provides insight into the attributes of nanocellulose suspension and exemplify their behaviour during oil recovery have also been reviewed and discussed. Finally, the conclusion and challenges in utility of nanocellulose for oilfield applications are addressed. Knowing how to adjust/quantify nanocrystals/nanofibers shape and size; and monitor their interactions might promote their utility in oilfield industry.</p

Sustainable MXene-chitosan/chitin composites for Interdisciplinary applications in water purification, bio-medical, bio-sensing and electronic fields

MXenes possess appealing mechanical, optical, thermal, electronic and surface functionalities that have been applied to develop biomedical applications, water treatment, biosensors, EMI shielding materials and solvent dehydration. Various MXene-polymer composites have been fabricated to enhance biocompatibility/biodegradability, adsorption, physiological stability, sustained drug release, surface functionality and selectivity/sensitivity. Chitosan has been considered as an attractive material for developing MXene-based hybridized composites because of its biocompatible, antibacterial, and surface-modifiable nature. The present review article describes recent developments in the use of MXene-chitosan composites in multiple fields, such as the removal of contaminants from water, biomedical applications, sensing or detection of different food/water contaminants, fire retardants/sensors, solvent dehydration and humidity sensors. All these applications of MXene-chitosan composites are discussed, with a particular focus on important challenges and future perspectives. MXene-chitosan hybrid materials can open significant new opportunities for future bio- and nano-medicine applications.</p

Sugar beet pulp: Resurgence and trailblazing journey towards a circular bioeconomy

The present review article will outline alternative uses of sugar beet pulp residue produced during the preparation of sugar from sugar beet. Traditionally, sugar beet pulp has been used as cattle fodder and was not considered to have much potential to be utilised in other competitive industries such as bio-energy, polymer composites, water purification industries, etc. However, with technological advancement, sugar beet pulps have been successfully employed to reinforce polymer composites, extract nano elements, and bio-adsorb contaminants from wastewater or as precursor molecules to create various bio-chemicals. As per the data from the Food and Agriculture Association of United States (FAAU, 2019), the e sugar beet production is very much lower (85.71% approx.) compared to sugar cane. However, in near future, because of increasing demands of sugar from the growing world population and also due to shortage of freshwater resources, we may anticipate bulk production of sugar beet (which requires less freshwater resources than cane sugar and whose production as per FAAU data has increased inconsistently about 1.74% approx. in last five years, in tropical regions more specifically in European countries (currently share about 69.6% of total world sugar beet production) or in other parts of the world and thus it may lead to overproduction of sugar beet pulp. Therefore, it is the need for time and efforts made by different scientists to develop new chemical technologies t can consume waste sugar beet pulps residue for the generation of different beneficial products. The promising strategies for producing multifunctional materials from sugar beet pulp include pyrolysis, enzymatic/acid hydrolysis, surface functionalization, nanofibres extraction, stacking them as reinforcing agents in polymer composites and carbonization. The technologies evaluated in the present article will be of great interest to both scientists and industrialists