The water scarcity crisis is currently deepened by the presence of emerging contaminants, such as amoxicillin (AMX), threatening ecosystems and living beings due to their toxicity and bioaccumulation. Due to this, in the present study, superabsorbent hydrogels reinforced with oxidized cellulose nanocrystals (CCNC) were developed, forming semi-interpenetrated networks with poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS). The CCNCs were obtained by acid hydrolysis and subsequent chemical oxidation to introduce carboxylate groups with two different levels (low and high) of 200 mmol kg