A readily accessible quaternized cellulose filter paper with high permeability for IgG separation

Anion-exchange chromatography (AEC) is recognized as a highly effective approach for the purification of immunoglobulin G (IgG). This study introduces an innovative strategy that employs waste cellulose filter paper in the production of AEC media. A quaternized cellulose fiber membrane (CFM-QCS) was successfully fabricated that cellulose fibers were as a structural framework, glutaraldehyde (GA) as a crosslinking agent, and quaternary chitosan (QCS) as a modifying agent. Morphological and chemical characterization revealed that GA and QCS were uniformly crosslinked on the surface of the cellulose fibers, resulting in excellent mechanical properties in both dry and wet states. Benefiting from its 3D network scaffold structure, CFM-QCS demonstrated a high adsorption capacity for bovine serum albumin (BSA), with static and dynamic adsorption capacities of 605.15 mg/g and 88.63 mg/ml, respectively. After treated with extreme conditions and 10 cyclic adsorption and elution, the adsorption capacity of CFM-QCS remains almost unchanged, highlighting its excellent stability. Additionally, a CFM-QCS packed chromatography column exhibited high flux of 10.38 L/h at 0.1 MPa, which can efficiently separate IgG from a mixed solution in the presence of BSA and IgG by gravity-driven. This work presents a straightforward approach for preparing high-performance ion-exchange chromatography membranes for IgG separation.