Nanocellulose/Graphene Oxide Composite Beads as a Novel Hemoperfusion Adsorbent for Efficient Removal of Bilirubin Plasma

Conventional hemoperfusion adsorbents suffer from inefficiency and poor biocompatibility. Cellulose, a natural polysaccharide with biocompatible, biodegradable, and nontoxic properties, was combined with graphene oxide (GO) to fabricate composite beads (TGO) for blood purification. GO synthesized via a modified Hummers method was complexed with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCNs). Increasing GO content (2–20 wt %) enhanced TGO’s specific surface area (256.4–289.0 m² g^–1) while retaining an ∼10 nm pore size. TGO demonstrated exceptional adsorption capacities: bilirubin (418.4 mg g^–1), creatinine (23.5 mg g^–1), uric acid (146.6 mg g^–1), and Cu²⁺ (171.9 mg g^–1). The beads exhibited excellent hemocompatibility (hemolysis rate <5%) and prolonged recalcification time (585 ± 5.2 s). Notably, TGO restored blood bilirubin levels to normal within 30 min, highlighting its potential for blood purification.