Benzoyl and stearoyl acid grafted cellulose were synthesized by a simple chemical grafting method. Using these as chemical adsorbents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), like pyrene and phenanthrene, were effectively removed from aqueous solution. The structural and morphological properties of the synthesized adsorbents were determined through X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), FE-SEM, and NMR analyses. Through this method, it was confirmed that benzoyl and stearoyl acid were successfully grafted onto the surface of cellulose. The 5 mg of stearoyl grafted cellulose (St–Cell) remove 96.94% pyrene and 97.61% phenanthrene as compared to unmodified cellulose, which adsorbed 1.46% pyrene and 2.99% phenanthrene from 0.08 ppm pyrene and 0.8 ppm phenanthrene aqueous solution, suggesting that those results show a very efficient adsorption performance as compared to the unmodified cellulose.

Quercetin (QUE) has a wide range of health benefits; however, its application is limited due to its low solubility. We synthesized mono-6-deoxy-6-aminoethylamino-β-cyclodextrin (Et-β-CD) to overcome this limitation. The solubility of QUE was increased 35.1-fold compared with QUE, by its complexation with Et-β-CD. Changes in physicochemical properties following successful complexation were investigated using field emission scanning electron microscope, differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The complexation behavior of QUE and Et-β-CD in aqueous solution was monitored by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 2D rotating frame nuclear overhauser, and diffusion-ordered spectroscopy. The molecular docking simulation showed that the oblong shaped QUE is suitable for the formation of a stable complex with a characteristic cavity of Et-β-CD. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity and photostability of QUE was also improved after its complexation with Et-β-CD. From these results, we suggest that the characteristic elliptical cavity of Et-β-CD can be utilized for other hardly soluble drug molecules, which can expand the development of drug delivery systems.

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Fluoranthene (FT) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), consisting of naphthalene and benzene rings connected by a five-member ring. It is widespread in the environment. The hydrophobicity of FT limits its availability for biological uptake and degradation. In this study, hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin oligomers (HP-β-CD-ol) were synthesized with epichlorohydrin (EP), while the solubility enhancement of FT by HP-β-CD-ol was investigated in water. The synthesized HP-β-CD-ol was characterized by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS), 1 H NMR, and 13 C NMR spectroscopy. The solubility of FT increased 178-fold due to the complex formation with HP-β-CD oligomers. The inclusion complexes of FT/HP-β-CD-ol were analyzed using Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Nuclear Overhauser Effect Spectroscopy Nuclear magnetic resonance (NOESY NMR) spectroscopy. On the basis of these results, HP-β-CD-ol is recommended as a potential solubilizer for the development of PAH removal systems.