Biodegradation of cellulose fibers functionalized with CuO/Cu2O nanoparticles in combination with polycarboxylic acids

Abstract

Sustainable biodegradation of cellulose fibers is critical for composting after the end of a product’s life. In this study, we aimed at investigating the effect of in situ synthesized CuO/Cu2O nanoparticles (NPs) with biocidal concentration on the biodegradation behavior of cotton fibers pretreated with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) and succinic acid (SUC). Biodegradation of the fibers was evaluated by soil burial tests in garden soil and in model compost after different soil burial times. The results showed that the application of BTCA, SUC, and CuO/Cu2O NPs did not affect the hydrophilicity of the samples and allowed a smooth biodegradation process. The morphological and chemical changes during biodegradation, evaluated by FESEM and FTIR analyses, showed that the presence of CuO/Cu2O NPs slightly hindered biodegradation of the fibers after 18 days in soil. However, biodegradation was much faster in the model compost, where all samples, regardless of their chemical modification, almost completely degraded after only 11 days. Intense microbial growth on the surface of all samples after nine days of burial in garden soil and model compost was confirmed by the presence of proteins produced by the microorganisms. The total number of microorganisms in the garden soil remained almost unchanged and increased in the model compost after the burial test. The only exception was the sample with the highest concentration of CuO/Cu2O NPs, which caused a reduction in microbial growth but not complete growth inhibition. These results clearly showed that during material degradation, the cellulosic material supporting microbial growth prevailed over the suppression of microbial growth by CuO/Cu2O NPs.