A hierarchically porous cellulose monolith: A template-free fabricated, morphology-tunable, and easily functionalizable platform

[Display omitted] •A cellulose monolith with hierarchically porous structure was fabricated.•Fabrication was achieved by phase separation of cellulose acetate and hydrolysis.•The hierarchical morphology can be controlled by tuning fabrication parameters.•The cellulose monolith can be modified easily by a series of functional groups. Recently, monoliths with continuous porous structure have received much attention for high-performance separation/adsorption matrix in biomedical and environmental fields. This study proposes a novel route to prepare cellulose monoliths with hierarchically porous structure by selecting cellulose acetate (CA) as the starting material. Thermally induced phase separation of CA solution using a mixed solvent affords a CA monolith, which is converted into the cellulose monolith by alkaline hydrolysis. Scanning electron microscopy images of the CA and cellulose monoliths reveal a continuous macropore with rough surface, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis indicates the formation of a mesoporous structure. The macroporous structure could be controlled by changing the fabrication parameters. A series of reactive groups are introduced by chemical modifications on the surface of the cellulose monolith. The facile and diverse modifiability combined with its hydrophilic property make the hierarchically porous cellulose monolith a potential platform for use in separation, purification and bio-related applications.