Nanocelluloses with fiber diameter of ~5 nm were extracted facilely from seasonal defoliation of ginkgo leaves by combined TEMPO-mediated oxidation/mechanical treatment and were used as adsorbents to remove charged contaminants from water. The chemical composition of nanocellulose was determined by solid-state 13C NMR and elemental ****ysis, whereas the morphology was characterized by TEM and POM techniques. The adsorption capacity of ginkgo nanocellulose against cationic dye molecules and heavy metal ions (e.g., cupric ions) were investigated in a static adsorption study. The results verified that nanocelluloses extracted from biomass waste, such as ginkgo leaves, could be used as efficient adsorption media for remediation of contaminated water.
