Preparation and characterization of cellulose/Ag nanocomposites

A simple, green, and efficient microwave‐assisted heating method was developed to synthesize the cellulose/Ag nanocomposites by reducing silver nitrate in aqueous solution. The structure of nanocomposites was analyzed with X‐ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared, the results showed that nanosilver particles were synthesized successfully on the surface of cellulose and did not change the structure of cellulose obviously. The shape and average size of silver nanoparticles and its distribution on cellulose fiber surface were observed by scanning electron microscopy, and the results demonstrated that the silver nanoparticles had a good distribution on the surface of cellulose fiber and high dosage of polyvinyl pyrrolidone decreased the size of nanosilver particles. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to measure the silver content in the composites, it was found that the silver content was higher in composites obtained by microwave heating compared with oil bath heating. The effect of silver nanoparticles on the thermal stability of cellulose fiber was studied by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, and it revealed that the silver nanoparticles had no obvious influence on the thermal stability of cellulose. The excellent antimicrobial activity against both Escherichia coli (gram‐negative bacteria) and Staphylococcus aureus (gram‐positive bacteria) showed a potential application in medical and health care field. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:2220–2229, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers