Efficient Removal of Water Pollutants <italic style="font-style: italic">via</italic> Flocculation-filtration Cascade Treatment Using Cellulose Micro-nano Materials

Qin-Ying Nan; Lin-Xi Chen; An-Zhuo Zhang; Chun-Chun Yin; Yi-Li Wang; Jin-Feng Wang; Jin Wu; Jin-Ming Zhang; Jun Zhang

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3818-z

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Efficient Removal of Water Pollutants via Flocculation-filtration Cascade Treatment Using Cellulose Micro-nano Materials

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-10-10

- Efficient Removal of Water Pollutants via Flocculation-filtration Cascade Treatment Using Cellulose Micro-nano Materials
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Pages: 1-13(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
  b.National-Local Joint Laboratory for Advanced Textile Processing and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China
  c.China School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China
- Author bio：
  
  jinfeng.wang@wtu.edu.cn (J.F.W.)
  zhjm@iccas.ac.cn (J.M.Z.)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3818-z
  CLC：
- Received：30 June 2026，
  
  Accepted：19 July 2026，
  
  Online First：10 October 2026，
  
  Published：2026-08
- Accepted：
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Nan, Q. Y.; Chen, L. X.; Zhang, A. Z.; Yin, C. C.; Wang, Y. L.; Wang, J. F.; Wu, J.; Zhang, J. M.; Zhang, J. Efficient removal of water pollutants via flocculation-filtration cascade treatment using cellulose micro-nano materials. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3818-z

Qin-Ying Nan, Lin-Xi Chen, An-Zhuo Zhang, et al. Efficient Removal of Water Pollutants via Flocculation-filtration Cascade Treatment Using Cellulose Micro-nano Materials[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-13. DOI: 10.1007/s10118-026-3818-z.
Nan, Q. Y.; Chen, L. X.; Zhang, A. Z.; Yin, C. C.; Wang, Y. L.; Wang, J. F.; Wu, J.; Zhang, J. M.; Zhang, J. Efficient removal of water pollutants via flocculation-filtration cascade treatment using cellulose micro-nano materials. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3818-z DOI：

Qin-Ying Nan, Lin-Xi Chen, An-Zhuo Zhang, et al. Efficient Removal of Water Pollutants via Flocculation-filtration Cascade Treatment Using Cellulose Micro-nano Materials[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-13. DOI: 10.1007/s10118-026-3818-z. DOI：

摘要

Abstract

Emerging and legacy contaminants

including micro (nano) plastics

perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

dyes

and antibiotics

are pervasive in aquatic environments and seriously threaten both ecosystems and human health. In this study

we developed a sustainable water purification system using renewable cellulose to rapidly remove pollutants through an integrated flocculation-filtration approach. By controlling precipitation dynamics

we engineered cationic cellulose microgels (CNFN-N

) with nanofibrous networks as flocculants;

via

air-spinning

we fabricated cationic lignocellulose microfibers (CLCMF) into functional filter papers

creating a dual-function biomass solution for efficient contaminant removal. Featuring a three-dimensional nanofibrous network

CNFN-N

actively entrapped and mobilized aquatic pollutants while establishing adsorption bridges between contaminants through synergistic electrostatic/hydrogen-bond interactions

driving their agglomeration into larger clusters. CLCMF can efficiently inte

rcept various pollutants in water through the synergistic effects of electrostatic interactions

hydrogen-bond interactions

and physical blocking effects. The combination of CNFN-N

and CLCMF can remove 99.99% of micro (nano) plastics and anionic dyes and has a high removal rate for PFAS and antibiotics in water. This cellulose-based "flocculation-filtration" cascade strategy provides an efficient and fast approach for water purification.

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Efficient Removal of Water Pollutants via Flocculation-filtration Cascade Treatment Using Cellulose Micro-nano Materials

DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3818-z

摘要

Abstract

关键词

Keywords

references