Paper wastes such as printed paper, paperboard, magazines,
and newspaper have contributed the largest portion of disposed
solid waste steam and imparted great impacts on the environment
and our lives [1]. Improper handling of paper wastes would result
in periodic fires, water pollution, greenhouse gases emission and
potential spread of diseases. Effective utilization of paper wastes
could therefore not only reduce the amount of municipal solid
waste, but also contribute towards environmental protection and
conservation. Papers consist mainly of cellulose fibers which have
been compressed into sheet during the papermaking process and
these cellulose fibers can be isolated using various mechanical and
chemical processes [1,2]. Cellulose, a linear homopolymer consisting
of D-anhydroglucopyranose units linked by β-(1-4)-glycosidic
bonds, can be modified into different morphological shapes
such as film, fiber, nanoparticles, as well as spherical beads [3].
Cellulose beads have attracted great attention of scientists due
to their abundance, biodegradability, renewability, and low cost.
Cellulose beads can be chemically modified to serve as potential
biomedical engineering materials [4,5], and are being widely used
as the stationary phase in chromatography systems for separation
due to their spherical shape which allow easy packing in column
and withstand very high flow rates [6]. Besides, cellulose beads
have been chemically modified with different types of anionic
groups for use as the absorbent material in water treatment, such
as the removal of heavy metals in water resources