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Ionic liquid based fiber welding has been used to attach the metal–organic framework (MOF) UiO-66-NH2 to cotton fibers. The results show that by controlling the extent of the welding process, it is...

In our study, lignocellulose yarns were fabricated via natural fiber welding (NFW) into a robust, free-standing, sustainable catalyst for water treatment. First, a series of powder catalysts were created by loading monometallic palladium (Pd) and bimetallic palladium–copper (Pd–Cu) nanoparticles onto ball-milled yarn powders via incipient wetness (IW) followed by a gentle reduction method in hydrogen gas that preserved the natural fiber while reducing the metal ions to their zerovalent state. Material characterization revealed Pd preferentially reduced near the surface whereas Cu distributed more uniformly throughout the supports. Although no chemical bonding interactions were observed between the metals and their supports, small (5–10 nm), near-spherical crystalline nanoparticles were produced, and a Pd–Cu alloy formed on the surface of the supports. Catalytic performance was evaluated for each Pd-only and Pd–Cu powder catalyst via nitrite and nitrate reduction tests, respectively. Next, the optimized Pd...