Bacterial nanocellulose-clay film as an eco-friendly sorbent for superior pollutants removal from aqueous solutions.

The persistent water treatment and separation challenge necessitates innovative and sustainable advances to tackle conventional and emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment effectively. Therefore, a unique three-dimensional (3D) network composite film (BC-KC) comprised of bacterial nanocellulose (BC) incorporated nano-kaolinite clay particles (KC) was successfully synthesized via an in-situ approach. The microscopic characterization of BC-KC revealed an effective integration of KC within the 3D matrix of BC. The investigated mechanical properties of BC-KC demonstrated a better performance compared to BC. Thereafter, the sorption performance of BC-KC films towards basic blue 9 dye (Bb9) and norfloxacin (NFX) antibiotic from water was investigated. The maximum sorption capacities of BC-KC for Bb9 and NFX were 127.64 and 101.68 mg/g, respectively. Mechanistic studies showed that electrostatic interactions, multi-layered sorption, and 3D structure are pivotal in the NFX/Bb9 sorption process. The intricate architecture of BC-KC effectively traps molecules within the interlayer spaces, significantly increasing sorption efficiency. The distinctive structural configuration of BC-KC films effectively addressed the challenges of post-water treatment separation while concurrently mitigating waste generation. The environmental evaluation, engineering, and economic feasibility of BC-KC are also discussed. The cost estimation assessment of BC-KC revealed the potential to remove NFX and Bb9 from water at an economically viable cost.