Synthetic characterization of cellulose from moringa oleifera seeds and potential application in water purification

Abstract

The use of Moringa oleifera seeds for purifying water has been attempted locally in various forms without putting scientific potency of the material into consideration. The cellulose sample isolated from Moringa oleifera seed was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The value of crystallinity index (CIr ) from the XRD pattern is 63.1%. The high degree of crystallinity obtained is attributed to the high percentage of crystallinity index, CIr (i.e. 63.1%). The morphology revealed aggregates of conical and needle-like structure. The FTIR revealed O-H stretching, C-H stretching vibration and C=O bond stretching functional groups. These characteristics are indicative of the potential of the material in water purification.