Repurposing Xylan Biowastes for Sustainable Household Detergents

Seeking sustainable and biocompatible detergent remains a big challenge. In this work, we report a new type of polysaccharide nanocrystal that is extracted from available industrial xylan biowastes via mild ammonium persulfate (APS) aqueous oxidation, which subsequently serves as a sustainable household detergent. By carefully adjusting the oxidation conditions (similar to 0.5 M, 60 degrees C), plate xylan hydrated nanocrystals (XNCs) can be accessed in reasonable yield (similar to 23%) with diameters of 30-50 nm and thicknesses of 5-12 nm. In comparison to the cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), the crystalline structure of XNCs demonstrates remarkable humidity-dependent behavior. Additionally, the acetylated xylan nanocrystals (AXNCs) exhibit high surface/interface activity to form stable Pickering emulsions, intriguing cleaning efficiency in removing stains from fabric surfaces, and the capability to de-wet oil from various types of tableware material. Seed germination, crop growth, and aquatic ecotoxicological evaluation demonstrate that AXNCs show no toxicity toward plants and zebrafish (median lethal concentration > 20,000 mg/L) with which they can be applied either as eco-friendly laundry or kitchen detergents. Our work presents a new avenue for converting industrial biowastes into sustainable household materials.