Deacetylation Of Cellulose Acetate Research Articles

Multifunctional electrospun membranes incorporated with metal oxide nanoparticles, cellulose acetate, and polyvinylpyrrolidone for wastewater treatment: Oil/water separation, dye adsorption, and dye degradation

Multifunctional membranes have gained considerable attention as useful materials for the treatment of complex wastewater that contains dye and oil substances. Electrospun nanofiber membranes (ENM) have substantial advantages and potential for complex wastewater remediation, owing to their unique properties. In this study, an environmentally compatible ENM is fabricated by incorporating photocatalytic metal oxide nanoparticles of zinc oxide (ZnO) or silver-zinc Oxide (Ag-ZnO) into cellulose acetate (CA)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofibers using electrospinning. Composite membranes ZnO/CA/PVP, Ag-ZnO/CA/PVP, ZnO/DCA/PVP (DCA: deacetylated cellulose acetate), and Ag-ZnO/DCA/PVP (deacetylated) were employed for oil–water emulsion separation, owing to their superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic nature, photocatalytic dye degradation due to the presence of ZnO or Ag-ZnO, and dye adsorption resulting from their high surface area. The composite membranes showed more than 95% efficiency for oil/water separation, malachite green adsorption, and photocatalytic methylene blue degradation. These membranes displayed simultaneous oil–water and dye separation efficiency, as well as antibacterial properties. The membrane we present here provides a simple and effective platform for wastewater remediation with a low energy consumption.

Increased mechanical stability and permeability by filling the interconnected pores of porous microneedles

Abstract A new polymeric microneedle (MN) fabrication technique is described in order to facilitate both higher mechanical stability and continuous drug release capability, a well-recognized challenge in the community. The technique involves filling the pores of a porous MN (PMN) array with a hydrogel. Cellulose acetate (CA) was used to prepare PMN, the interconnected cavity of which was then occupied by a crosslinked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel. Alkali treatment of the PMN array resulted in deacetylation of CA and improved the hydrophilicity on the surface. The hydrogel was readily incorporated by thermal polymerization of the monomers soaked to the PMN array. Mechanical strength tests demonstrated that pore filling enhanced the PMN stability by up to 50%, which was well-above the threshold required for skin penetration. The permeability of the hydrogel remained after pore filling and the drug release rate could be varied by alkali treatment process.

Superwettable cellulose acetate-based nanofiber membrane with spider-web structure for highly efficient oily water purification

Electrospinning nanofibers membrane has received much attention to remove the insoluble oil from the sewage, while the poor mechanical strength and low oil/water separation efficiency of membranes limit their practical application. Here, we prepared a superwettable deacetylated cellulose acetate (d-CA)-based electrospinning nanofibers membrane simply dipped by bacterial cellulose (BC) and cross-linked with citric acid (CCA) to construct the spider-web structure spontaneously. Compared with the pristine d-CA membrane, the obtained d-CA/BC@CCA membrane exhibits the remarkable oil/water separation performance. The flux and separation efficiency of n-hexane/water emulsion without (SFE) and with (SSE) emulsifier for d-CA/BC@CCA membrane are 9364 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1, 98.34 % and 5479 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1, 99.39 %, respectively, which are mainly attributed to the improved hydrophilicity of its surface and the decreased pore sizes caused by the unique spider-web structure. In addition, d-CA/BC@CCA membrane also possesses the outstanding mechanical properties, the better cycle stability, as well as the excellent durability. This study provides a novel strategy for the construction of the high-performance oil/water separation membrane.

Bioinspired and Biodegradable Functionalized Graphene Oxide/Deacetylated Cellulose Acetate Composite Janus Membranes for Water Evaporation-Induced Electricity Generation

Harvesting electricity from natural water evaporation has recently become a popular research direction owing to its spontaneity, ubiquitousness, and sustainability. In this study, we demonstrate a bioinspired composite Janus membrane based on functionalized graphene oxide (FGO)/deacetylated cellulose acetate (dCA) nanofiber. FGO has a high surface charge and a low oxygen to carbon atom ratio (OAC/CAC), which helps attract ions and facilitate the transfer of carriers. The hydrophilic dCA not only provides a driving force for water and ion transport in FGO but also accelerates water evaporation in the composite Janus membrane, thereby increasing the electrical output. As a result, a small piece of the membrane can provide ∼316 mV and ∼997 nA of voltage and current, respectively. The high electric energy output could be easily achieved through series and parallel expansion of the membrane and utilized to supply power to electronics or for capacitor charge. Once the generator has reached the end of its life cycle, dCA can be effortlessly biodegraded within a week without posing a threat to the environment. This work establishes a new paradigm for developing high-performance biodegradable electricity generators powered by water evaporation.

Fabrication and characterization of porous deacetylated cellulose acetate casting membrane with excellent oil/water separation performance

AbstractIn recent years, wastewater treatment has become a global challenge due to growing environmental pollution. The porous deacetylated cellulose acetate (d‐CA) casting membrane was successfully fabricated by combining solution casting, pore‐forming agent leached out and deacetylation treatment. The prepared porous d‐CA casting membrane presented superhydrophilic and superoleophilic in air, oleophobic under water and superhydrophilic under oil. The water separation flux and oil separation flux of d‐CA casting membrane can go up to 23,000, and 11,500 L m−2 h−1 only under the gravity force, respectively, meanwhile it is still maintaining high separation efficiency more than 99.1%. In additionally, it has remarkable self‐cleaning capability due to its special surface wettability, it remains the high water separation flux about 18,000 L m−2 h−1 and separation efficiency of 99.1% after 25 cycles, suggesting excellent anti‐pollution capacity and reusability. The results indicate that the porous d‐CA casting membrane has a wide range of potential applications in oil/water separation, and the simple production process is expected to enable large‐scale fabrication of porous separation membranes.

A groundbreaking biorefinery loop for the valorization of cigarette butts into fermentable sugars and bioethanol

Cigarette Butts are one of the most diffused and toxic waste in urban contexts. They are composed by a cellulose acetate filter, used to retain toxic compounds during the smoking of cigarette, and eventual tobacco's residues. This work had the ambitious to exploit cigarette butts in a biorefinery scheme to produce fermentable sugars and bioethanol. Cigarette butts followed different sequential operations. Deacetylation of cellulose acetate was optimized by a lipase treatment, which played an important role in the biological degradation and deacetylation of cellulose acetate. The following cellulase addition allowed the conversion of the deacetylated cellulose into fermentable sugars. In particular, the best performances were obtained with a cellulase addition of 10% of the cigarette butts, which led to a final fermentable sugars' concentration of about 12 g/L, corresponding to a cigarette butts' conversion of about 70% w/w. Then, the fermentable sugars were used as substrates for bioethanol production by three different yeasts: Metschnikowia pulcherrima MALV5, Lachancea fermentati LS16 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae EC1118. Metschnikowia pulcherrima MALV5, Lachancea fermentati LS16 achieved similar results with a bioethanol production of 2.14 and 2.44 g/L, respectively, corresponding to a fermentable sugars conversion of about 20% w/w.

Deacetylated cellulose acetate nanofibrous dressing loaded with chitosan/propolis nanoparticles for the effective treatment of burn wounds

Every year, about 1 out of 9 get burnt in Egypt, with a mortality rate of 37%, and they suffer from physical disfigurement and trauma. For the treatment of second-degree burns, we aim at making a smart bandage provided with control of drug release (using chitosan nanoparticles) to enhance the healing process. This bandage is composed of natural materials; namely, cellulose acetate (CA), chitosan, and propolis (bee resin) as the loaded drug. Cellulose acetate nanofibers were deacetylated by NaOH after optimizing the reaction time and the concentration of NaOH solution, and the product was confirmed with FTIR analysis. Chitosan/propolis nanoparticles were prepared by ion gelation method with size ranging from 100 to 200 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.3. Chitosan/propolis nanoparticles were preloaded in the CA solution to ensure homogeneity. Loaded deacetylated cellulose nanofibers have shown the highest hydrophobicity measured by contact angle. Cytotoxicity of propolis and chitosan/propolis nanoparticles were tested and the experimental IC50 value was about 137.5 and 116.0 μg/mL, respectively, with p-value ≤0.001. In addition, chitosan/propolis nanoparticles loaded into cellulose nanofibers showed a cell viability of 89.46% in the cell viability test. In-vivo experiments showed that after 21 days of treatment with the loaded nanofibers repairing of epithelial cells, hair follicles and sebaceous glands in the skin of the burn wound were found in albino-mice model.

Characterising plasticised cellulose acetate-based historic artefacts by NMR spectroscopy: A new approach for quantifying the degree of substitution and diethyl phthalate contents

As one of the first semi-synthetic plastics produced industrially, cellulose acetate (CA)-based artefacts represent valued items in museum collections and archives which, however, present stability issues. High temperature and relative humidity conditions have long been known to promote changes in CA properties, for instance, due to the deacetylation of CA polymer chains and the loss of plasticiser from the polymer matrix. However, there is a need for improved methods for the quantification of plasticiser loss and CA deacetylation. In this context, this contribution presents a new approach for enabling the investigation of plasticiser loss and deacetylation degradation processes in historic plasticised CA-based artefacts which is based on high-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR). The proposed methods allow for simple and fast quantification of diethyl phthalate contents and average degree of substitution (DS), while requiring no need for extractive separation between the plasticiser and the CA polymer matrix prior to analysis. Both methods are demonstrated by their application towards a series of reference samples, historic artefacts and artificially aged plasticised CA materials. Our analysis indicates that plasticiser content and DS can be accurately quantified by using high-resolution 1H NMR and both methods have been compared to analyses performed using infrared spectroscopy.

Highly Efficient Removal of Methylene Blue Dye from an Aqueous Solution Using Cellulose Acetate Nanofibrous Membranes Modified by Polydopamine.

A new type of deacetylated cellulose acetate (DA)@polydopamine (PDA) composite nanofiber membrane was fabricated by electrospinning and surface modification. The membrane was applied as a highly efficient adsorbent for removing methylene blue (MB) from an aqueous solution. The morphology, surface chemistry, surface wettability, and effects of operating conditions on MB adsorption ability, as well as the equilibrium, kinetics, thermodynamics, and mechanism of adsorption, were systematically studied. The results demonstrated that a uniform PDA coating layer was successfully developed on the surface of DA nanofibers. The adsorption capacity of the DA@PDA nanofiber membrane reached up to 88.2 mg/g at a temperature of 25 °C and a pH of 6.5 after adsorption for 30 h, which is about 8.6 times higher than that of DA nanofibers. The experimental results showed that the adsorption behavior of DA@PDA composite nanofibers followed the Weber’s intraparticle diffusion model, pseudo-second-order model, and Langmuir isothermal model. A thermodynamic analysis indicated that endothermic, spontaneous, and physisorption processes occurred. Based on the experimental results, the adsorption mechanism of DA@PDA composite nanofibers was also demonstrated.

Dual super-amphiphilic modified cellulose acetate nanofiber membranes with highly efficient oil/water separation and excellent antifouling properties

Along with increasing oily, industrial wastewater and seawater pollution, oil spills—and their clean-up via the separation of oil and water—are still a worldwide challenge. Aiming to fabricate an oil/water separation membrane with excellent comprehensive performance, we report here a new type of multifunctional deacetylated cellulose acetate (d-CA) membrane. The cellulose acetate (CA) nanofiber membranes are fabricated by electrospinning and then deacetylated to obtain the d-CA nanofiber membranes, which are super-amphiphilic in air, oleophobic in water, and super-hydrophilic in oil. The multifunctional d-CA nanofiber membranes can be used as water-removal substances for oil/water mixtures, as well as emulsified oil/water and oil/corrosive aqueous systems, with gravity as the only needed driving force. The d-CA nanofiber membranes possess the highest separation flux, reaching up to 38,000 L/m2·h, and the highest separation efficiency, reaching up to 99.97 % for chloroform/water mixtures under the force of gravity. In fact, the separation flux was several times higher than that of commercial CA (c-CA) membranes. The excellent anti-pollution and self-cleaning abilities endow the membranes with powerful cyclic stability and reusability. The d-CA nanofiber membranes show great application prospects in chemical plants, textile mills, and the food industry, as well as offshore oil spills, to separate oil from water.

Fabrication of electrospun chitosan/cellulose nanofibers having adsorption property with enhanced mechanical property

Chitosan/cellulose (CS/CL) nanofibers were fabricated through electrospinning with a mixture of chitosan (CS) and cellulose acetate (CA) in a co-solvent system (trifluoroacetic/acetic acid) and afterward Na2CO3 treatment was followed. The treatment induces the neutralization of CS and deacetylation of CA, converted into cellulose (CL). The CS/CA nanofiber webs maintained the fibrous structure after treatment (converted into CS/CL nanofibers), which cannot be achieved by CS nanofibers. In addition, the combination of CS and CA enhanced the mechanical properties of the resultant nanofibers up to approximately 17 MPa in tensile strength and 5.5% in elongation at break. More importantly, the resulting nanofibers showed adsorptive characteristics; whereas, CL nanofibers showed no adsorption behavior. The incorporation of CS with CL offers the metal ion adsorption property to the composite nanofibers and gives them a waterproof property, which could be utilized in wastewater purification. The adsorption capacity of CS/CL nanofibers for As(V), Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions reached up to 39.4, 57.3 and 112.6 mg/g. Therefore, this nanofiber system showed effective removal behavior in aqueous solution with reasonable mechanical strength, unattainable with pure CS or CL nanofibers.

Spinning Cellulose Hollow Fibers Using 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Acetate⁻Dimethylsulfoxide Co-Solvent.

The mixture of the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EmimAc) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) was employed to dissolve microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). A 10 wt % cellulose dope solution was prepared for spinning cellulose hollow fibers (CHFs) under a mild temperature of 50 °C by a dry–wet spinning method. The defect-free CHFs were obtained with an average diameter and thickness of 270 and 38 µm, respectively. Both the XRD and FTIR characterization confirmed that a crystalline structure transition from cellulose I (MCC) to cellulose II (regenerated CHFs) occurred during the cellulose dissolution in ionic liquids and spinning processes. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that regenerated CHFs presented a similar pyrolysis behavior with deacetylated cellulose acetate during pyrolysis process. This study provided a suitable way to directly fabricate hollow fiber carbon membranes using cellulose hollow fiber precursors spun from cellulose/(EmimAc + DMSO)/H2O ternary system.

CO 2 separation with carbon membranes in high pressure and elevated temperature applications

Abstract Carbon hollow fibers (CHF) were fabricated by carbonization of deacetylated cellulose acetate precursor. To enhance membrane permeation properties, pore structure was tailored by means of an oxidation and reduction process followed by chemical vapor deposition with propene. Permeation properties using shell-side feed configuration of 70 modules (0.2–2 m2) for both CHF and modified carbon hollow fibers (MCHF) were investigated for single gases, N2 and CO2 at high pressure (2–70 bar feed vs 0.05–1 bar permeate pressure) and temperature from 25–120 °C. Maximum CO2 permeance value for a MCHF module was recorded 50,000 times higher as compared to prior modification, and CO2/N2 selectivity was improved 41 times in comparison with CHF for the same module. Results indicated that carbon membranes are hardly effected by high pressure, but significant drop in CO2 permeability was observed at elevated temperature. Simulations of CO2/CH4 separation by MCHF and polymeric membranes were conducted based on Aspen Hysys® integrated with ChemBrane, and the process was optimized for cost calculation based on membrane area and compression energy. Simulation results indicated that the required separation can be achieved by a single stage process for MCHF, while a two-stage process is needed for the polymeric membranes.

Effect of cell hydrodynamics in desalination of saline water by sweeping air pervaporation technique using innovated membrane

Scarcity of potable water nowadays, presents a serious problem all over the world. Environmental changes are taking place at a rapid pace, resulting in greenhouse effects, desertification, and lack of fresh water. Accordingly, scientists are working hard toward inventing new techniques for desalinating sea water, which presents the only alternative solution to this problem. In this regard, desalination techniques are mainly divided into thermal and membrane techniques. However, the latter are superior in that they are modular in shape, and consume less energy. In the present work, desalination by a novel recent membrane separation technique, the so-called sweeping air pervaporation (PV), which has been very sparsely applied to desalination of sea water, has been conducted in our laboratory. The technique is simple, straightforward, cost-effective and does not suffer from limitations as regards low water recovery, such as reverse osmosis. An innovated deacetylated cellulose acetate (CA) membrane was prepared by the phase inversion technique, from a specially formulated casting solution mixture composed of CA, acetone (A), dioxane (D), dimethyl formamide, dimethyl phthalate, and maleic anhydride in definite proportions, and used in all the experiments. Two PV cells of different configuration and aspect ratio (AR) were designed and constructed, in order to investigate the effect of hydrodynamics on membrane performance. Numerous variables were studied for their effect on the pervaporate flux (J) and % salt rejection (%SR), and these were: initial salt solution concentration (Ci), PV temperature (Tpv), and PV cell configuration. It was found that the flux obtained was directly proportional to Tpv, and that the J was almost independent of Ci at low Tpvs, except in the case of Tpv = 80°C for both small and large configurations, where J was inversely proportional to Ci (in the range 15–120 g/l), and that higher fluxes were obtained under the same conditions in case of the PV cell of higher AR. The activation energy (Ea) for permeation through the membrane in both the cells was computed from the Arrhenius equation, and was found to be 20.89–23.06 kJ/mol K at Ci = 120 g/l, for the cell with higher and lower AR, respectively, denoting facile permeation of water through the membrane, for the two cell designs, in particular with higher AR. The results indicate that at all concentrations tested for large cell below 70°C, the product, after a once-through operation, was exceptional potable water with very low salinity (%SR 98.9) even when Ci was 120.8 g/l, and maximum flux obtained was 5 l/m2 h at Tpv = 70°C. The separation factor (α), PV separation index (PSI), overall mass transfer coefficient (Kov), diffusion coefficient (Di), salt diffusivity (Ds), and salt permeability (P), through the membrane were all calculated and their values are stated inside the paper text. Nevertheless, α varied between 5.6 and 853.4, and PSI reached 3494.5 l/m2 h.

Laccase functionalized cellulose acetate for the removal of toxic combustion products

The ability of Trametes villosa laccase immobilized on cellulose acetate to reduce/eliminate combustions toxicants was investigated using a model enzyme filter design. In the initial stages, various strategies of grafting laccase onto cellulose acetate polymers including partial deacetylated cellulose acetate followed by generation of reactive groups using either periodate or 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxy radical (TEMPO) and the use of different spacer arms [1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDAC); 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDGE)] and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane was investigated. The best process for effective immobilization of laccase onto both cellulose acetate powders and tows were those involving partial deacetylation, TEMPO activation to generate carboxylic groups, treatment with EDAC as a spacer arm followed by adding the enzyme. This procedure resulted in 45 units/mg laccase activity (28% increase in activity of immobilized enzyme) measured using ABTS as substrate as compared to the other strategies used to immobilize laccase. Further, the immobilized enzyme was able to oxidize >60% of toxicants resorcinol, hydroquinone and methylcatechol passing through the model enzyme filter. This study therefore demonstrates the great possibility of immobilizing laccase onto modified cellulose acetate and the great potential application of immobilized laccase to remove toxicants during combustion.

Antifouling coating of cellulose acetate thin films with polysaccharide multilayers.

In this investigation, partially deacetylated cellulose acetate (DCA) thin films were prepared and modified with hydrophilic polysaccharides with the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. As polysaccharides, chitosan (CHI) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were used. DCA thin films were manufactured by exposing spin coated cellulose acetate to potassium hydroxide solutions for various times. The deacetylation process was monitored by attenuated total reflectance-infrared spectroscopy, film thickness and static water contact angle measurements. A maximum of three bilayers was created from the alternating deposition of CHI and CMC on the DCA films under two different conditions namely constant ionic strengths and varying pH values of the CMC solutions. Precoatings of CMC at pH 2 were used as a base layer. The sequential deposition of CMC and CHI was investigated with a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation, film thickness, static water contact angle and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements. The versatility and applicability of the developed functional coatings was shown by removing the multilayers by rinsing with mixtures containing HCl/NaCl. The developed LbL coatings are used for studying the fouling behavior of bovine serum albumin (BSA).

An improved structural model for cellulose II

A sample of cellulose II, prepared by deacetylation of cellulose acetate, has permitted more precise determination of the unit-cell parameters by the Rietveld method. Cellulose II is monoclinic, with space group P21c-axis unique (or P1121) (No. 4) and refined unit-cell parameters a = 8.076(13), b = 9.144(10), c = 10.386(20) Å, γ = 117.00(8)°, and V = 683.5(18) Å3. A density functional geometry optimization using these fixed unit-cell parameters has resulted in an improved structural model for cellulose II. A powder pattern calculated from this new model has been submitted to the ICDD for inclusion in future releases of the Powder Diffraction File.

Keratin-based antimicrobial textiles, films, and nanofibers.

The combination of appealing structural properties, biocompatibility, and the availability of renewable and inexpensive raw materials, make keratin-based materials attractive for a variety of applications. In this paper, we report on the antimicrobial functionalization of keratin-based materials, including wool cloth and regenerated cellulose/keratin composite films and nanofibers. The functionalization of these materials was accomplished utilizing a facile chlorination reaction that converts the nitrogen-bearing moieties of keratin into halamine compounds. Halamine-charged wool cloth exhibited rapid and potent bactericidal activity against several species of bacteria and induced up to a 5.3 log (i.e., 99.9995%) reduction in the colony forming units of Bacillus thuringiensis spores within 10 min. Keratin-containing composites were prepared by the spin coating and coaxial electrospinning of extracted/oxidized alpha-keratin and cellulose acetate (CA) solubilized in formic acid, followed by CA deacetylation. Regenerated cellulose/keratin materials chlorinated to display halamines were also effective in killing Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Electrospun core/shell nanofibers engineered to maximize keratin-Cl surface area displayed higher activity against S. aureus than films composed of the same materials. The halamine-based antimicrobial functionalization methods demonstrated for keratin-based materials in this paper are anticipated to translate to other protein biopolymers of interest to the biomaterials community.

Adsorption of Carboxymethyl Cellulose on Polymer Surfaces: Evidence of a Specific Interaction with Cellulose

The adsorption of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), one of the most important cellulose derivatives, is crucial for many scientific investigations and industrial applications. Especially for surface modifications and functionalization of materials, the polymer is of interest. The adsorption properties of CMC are dependent not only on the solutions state, which can be influenced by the pH, temperature, and electrolyte concentration, but also on the chemical composition of the adsorbents. We therefore performed basic investigation studies on the interaction of CMC with a variety of polymer films. Thin films of cellulose, cellulose acetate, deacetylated cellulose acetate, polyethylene terephthalate, and cyclo olefin polymer were therefore prepared on sensors of a QCM-D (quartz crystal microbalance) and on silicon substrates. The films were characterized with respect to the thickness, wettability, and chemical composition. Subsequently, the interaction and deposition of CMC in a range of pH values without additional electrolyte were measured with the QCM-D method. A comparison of the QCM-D results showed that CMC is favorably deposited on pure cellulose films and deacetylated cellulose acetate at low pH values. Other hydrophilic surfaces such as silicon dioxide or polyvinyl alcohol coated surfaces did not adsorb CMC to a significant extent. Atomic force microcopy confirmed that the morphology of the adsorbed CMC layers differed depending on the substrate. On hydrophobic polymer films, CMC was deposited in the form of larger particles in lower amounts whereas hydrophilic cellulose substrates were to a high extent uniformly covered by adsorbed CMC. The chemical similarity of the CMC backbone seems to favor the irreversible adsorption of CMC when the molecule is almost uncharged at low pH values. A selectivity of the cellulose CMC interaction can therefore be assumed. All CMC treated polymer films exhibited an increased hydrophilicity, which confirmed their modification with the functional molecule.

Deposition of silver nanoparticles on cellulosic fibers via stabilization of carboxymethyl groups

The stabilizing role of carboxymethyl groups on the conformal deposition of Ag NPs over cellulosic fibers was elucidated while developing a method for the deposition of silver nanoparticles (NPs) on cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose and partially carboxymethylated cellulose (CMC) electrospun fibers. CMC fibers were prepared through judicious anionization of deacetylated cellulose acetate fibers. Ag NPs were chemically reduced from silver nitrate using sodium borohydride and further stabilized using citrate. Ag NPs were directly deposited onto CA, cellulose and CMC electrospun fibers at pH conditions ranging from 2.5 to 9.0. The resulting composites of Ag/fiber were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The results revealed that the amount of Ag agglomerates and NPs deposited on CMC fibers was higher than that deposited on cellulose fibers at similar pH conditions, and that barely any Ag agglomerates or NPs were deposited on the CA fibers. These results implied that functional groups on the cellulose backbone played two important roles in the deposition of NPs as follows: (1) Hydrogen bonding was the main driving force for agglomeration of NPs when the medium pH was below 4.4, which corresponds to the pKa of carboxylic acid groups; (2) Carboxymethyl groups could replace citrate groups as stabilizers allowing the fabrication of a uniform and evenly distributed Ag NPs layer over CMC fibers at higher pH values. This report also highlights the importance of the substrate’s surface charge and that of the pH of the medium used, on the deposition of NPs. The composite of Ag NPs on CMC electrospun fibers appears to be a promising candidate for wound dressing applications due to its superior antibacterial properties originated by the uniform and even distribution of Ag NPs on the surface of the fibers and the wound healing aptness of the CMC fibers.