A novel nonchemical approach to the expansion of halloysite nanotubes and their uses in chitosan composite hydrogels for broad-spectrum dye adsorption capacity

A novel method based on cryoscopic expansion of halloysite nanotubes via frozen water molecules entrapped in their lumens and subsequent lyophilization was described. Detailed analyses confirmed that the inner and outer diameters as well as the surface area of the nanotubes could be efficiently increased without disturbing the inherent tubular structure. The benefits of cryo-expanded nanotubes for the enhancement of chitosan hydrogel...