Open Access

ARTICLE

Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch-Derived Nanocellulose Boosts Methylene Blue Removal in CuO-Based Photocatalysts

Haniffudin Nurdiansah^1,*, Joko Setyo Wibowo¹, Retno Asih^2,*, Diah Susanti¹, Rindang Fajarin¹, Azzah Dyah Pramata¹, Amaliya Rasyida¹, Lukman Noerochim¹, Isao Watanabe³, Darminto²

1 Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia
2 Department of Physics, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia
3 Nuclear Structure Research Group, RIKEN Nishina Center, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, Japan

* Corresponding Authors: Haniffudin Nurdiansah. Email: ; Retno Asih. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Nanocellulose for Sustainable Material Applications: Emerging Biodegradable Materials and Nanocomposites)

Journal of Renewable Materials 2026, 14(9), 2 https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2026.02026-0031

Received 26 February 2026; Accepted 28 May 2026; Issue published 23 September 2026

Abstract

A synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis provides a key role ensuring high degradation efficiency. In this study, nanocellulose (nC) derived from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) via delignification followed by acid hydrolysis was combined with CuO for methylene blue (MB) removal through a two-stage process: adsorption followed by photocatalysis. The nC content varied at 5%, 15%, and 25% by mass. Structural analyses revealed successful extraction of nC from OPEFB, with particle sizes of 260–310 nm, a surface area of 2.3 m²/g, and a pore diameter of 9.5 nm. The incorporation of nC improves CuO dispersion and stability while maintaining visible-light-responsive bandgap characteristics, resulting in a significant increase in MB removal from 43.6% (pure CuO) to 99.7% (CuO/nC 25%) within 60 min under UV irradiation. The nC contributes to rapid MB adsorption in the initial stage (0–15 min), followed by enhanced photocatalytic degradation in the later stage (15–60 min). This study highlights the potential of enhancing the adsorption and photocatalytic activities of CuO/nC composites for facile and efficient MB removal.

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Keywords

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