Synthesis and antimicrobial effects of highly dispersed, cellulose-stabilized silver/cellulose nanocomposites

Alahmadi, N. S.; Kelly, S. M.; Betts, J. W.; Heinze, T.; Wadhawan, J. D.; Koschella, A.

Abstract

Small, spherical silver nanoclusters were synthesised on the surface of paper as a model cellulosic fibre substrate by a standard chemical reduction method. The concentration of the silver nanoclusters on the substrate surface is roughly proportional to the initial silver salt concentration. However, there is a noticeable degree of nanocluster aggregation to larger agglomerates. The addition of small amounts of α-cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose or aminocellulose during the synthesis of the silver/cellulose nanocomposites suppresses this aggregation and significantly increases the concentration of the silver nanoclusters on the surface of the fibres of cellulose. These small, surface-stabilised silver nanoclusters, with the desired size and morphology, deposited from aqueous solutions on the surface of cellulosic cotton fibres, show enhanced antibacterial activity against MRSA compared to that of the corresponding silver/cotton nanocomposites prepared in the absence of a cellulosic surface stabiliser.

Citation

Alahmadi, N. S., Kelly, S. M., Betts, J. W., Heinze, T., Wadhawan, J. D., & Koschella, A. (2018). Synthesis and antimicrobial effects of highly dispersed, cellulose-stabilized silver/cellulose nanocomposites. RSC advances, 8(7), 3646-3656. https://doi.org/10.1039/c7ra12280b

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 26, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Jan 18, 2018
• Publication Date: Jan 19, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jul 3, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 3, 2019
• Journal: RSC Advances
• Print ISSN: 2046-2069
• Electronic ISSN: 2046-2069
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 7
• Pages: 3646-3656
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/c7ra12280b
• Keywords: General Chemistry; General Chemical Engineering
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/699384
• Publisher URL: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2018/RA/C7RA12280B