Ecofriendly synthesis of cellulose-silver nanocomposites and the evaluation of their antibacterial activity

Abstract The integration of nanotechnology with cellulose matrices has gained considerable attention due to the resulting enhanced mechanical, thermal, and antibacterial properties. This study introduces a facile and environment-friendly microwave-assisted method for synthesizing cellulose/Ag nanocomposites. Palm date wood extract was used as an efficient reductant for silver ions, facilitating their deposition onto cellulose surface. The cellulose-silver nanocomposite was synthesized by reducing silver in situ on the surface of cellulose extracted from date palm wood fibers. The extraction involved a series of specific chemical treatments, including alkalization and whitening. The resulting nanocomposite was subjected to various characterization techniques. FTIR spectra showed the elimination of non-cellulosic components post chemical treatments, while XRD affirmed the presence of cellulose peaks. Experimental results indicated that the palm date wood extract was an effective reductant for silver ions favoring the formation of silver with higher crystallinity and mass content in the nanocomposites. Silver nanoparticles were identified within the cellulose matrix through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The FTIR spectral characterization studies demonstrated the existence of silver in the cellulose nanocomposites. Additionally, the XRD analysis confirmed the formation of silver peaks within these composites. Qualitative antibacterial tests towards gram negative (Escherichia coli) and gram positive (Micrococcus luteus) bacteria were carried out and the results showed that the Ag-MFCs effectively inhibit the growth of both types of bacteria, with 9–13 mm of inhibition zone for both the bacteria. The ecofriendly synthesis method using cellulose as a stabilizing agent proved to be effective in producing well-dispersed spherical AgNPs. The synthesized cellulose silver nanocomposite demonstrated notable antibacterial properties, indicating their potential for applications in medical and environmental fields. This study highlights the feasibility of using green synthesis methods to develop nanocomposites with significant antibacterial activity.