Published Scholarly Output

This study addresses the global demand for sustainable materials by isolating and characterizing microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from rice stalk agro-waste and applying it to enhance the mechanical properties of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) biofilms. Rice stalk MCC (RSMCC) was extracted using chemical treatments, including alkalization, acid hydrolysis, and bleaching. The extracted MCC was characterized by Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-visible spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). RSMCC was incorporated into the PBAT films at 0-5 wt% concentrations using the solution casting method, and the biofilms' mechanical properties were evaluated. RSMCC exhibited a crystallinity index of 75.75 %, thermal stability up to 200 degrees C, and an average particle size of 134.068 mu m. Incorporating 4 wt% RSMCC into PBAT achieved the highest tensile strength (28.16 MPa) and modulus (15.92 MPa). The results demonstrated RSMCC's effectiveness of RSMCC as a reinforcing agent, enhancing the mechanical and thermal properties of PBAT biofilms. These findings support RSMCC's potential of RSMCC for the development of biodegradable and sustainable packaging materials.

Addressing the mounting problem of plastic waste accumulation requires exploration of novel technologies. Photoreforming (PR) is an innovative technique where water splitting and solid waste oxidation occurs concurrently, reducing the dependency on fossil fuels while addressing plastic wastes increment. This review highlights novel photocatalysts and their modifications designed to enhance PR efficiency. Among these, a CdS/ MoS2 binary structure stands out, achieving an impressive hydrogen (H2) yield of up to 379,500 mu mol g-1 h-1. More importantly, a concise cost analysis reveals that PR could possibly produce H2 at a cost of about USD 5.5-6/ kg H2 which is considerably competitive with the conventional methods. This paper also underlines PR as a potential pathway to overcome both environmental and energy challenges with up to 50 % of plastic conversion during the process. Future perspectives focusing on process scalability holds the key for translating lab-scaled research into industrial applications, paving way for sustainable H2 production.