Preparation and antibacterial property of silver nanoparticles loaded into bacterial cellulose

Abstract

Composite nanomaterials based on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are considered promising antimicrobial agents due to their excellent antimicrobial activity. The aim of this work is to develop bacterial cellulose (BC) composites that act synergistically with AgNPs. BC@AgNPs composites were developed using an ex-situ composite development strategy and evaluated for their structural characteristics and antimicrobial activities. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) showed impregnation of AgNPs into the porous BC network. The composite formulation was also confirmed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, which showed the presence of additional crystalline peaks along with those of the pure BC. Bactericidal tests of BC@AgNPs nanocomposites against common pathogens, including Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, showed a significant reduction in their growth compared to pure BC. These results suggest that the synthesized BC@AgNPs composites could be promising antibacterial materials for potential applications in a wide range of medical and environmental applications.