Chemical modification of cellulose for boron sorption from water solutions

It is shown that natural cellulose obtained from the walnut shell (Juglans regia) can be used for chemical modification of the selective boron sorbent. The modification was carried out by the coupling technique of chlorine derivatives of the polyhydric alcohols or polyols (mannitol, xylitol, sorbitol or glycerol). In this case new hybrid substances (sorbents) were obtained and they are represented by the formula: R-O-(CHOH)_n-CH₃, where R is a residue of the cellulose backbone, n is the number of functional (OH) groups of the polyhydric alcohols. The pulp mercerization was carried out by processing the ground walnut shell (WS) with hot solution of sodium hydroxide. Chlorination of polyhydric alcohols was carried out by gaseous hydrochloric acid sparging through the polyhydric alcohol aqueous solution. The coupling process proceeds according to the mechanism of substitution of the cellulose hydroxyl groups with chlorine atoms.