Antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles synthesized In-situ by solution spraying onto cellulose

• Spray technique was used for the adsorption of in-situ silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto and inside the surface of NFC and MFC as well as filter paper.
• The NFC and MFC-based substrates was observed to be better than filter paper when loaded with AgNPs.
• The particle size of AgNPs nucleated on NFC and MFC—based papers was found to be 11 and 26 nm respectively.
• The antibacterial activity of AgNPs loaded MFC exhibits higher antibacterial activity than that of AgNPs loaded NFC.

Spray technique was used for the adsorption of in-situ silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto and inside the surface of nano- and micro- fibrillar cellulose (NFC and MFC) as well as filter paper. The abundance of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups located in NFC and MFC are used to stabilize Ag ions (Ag+) which were then in-situ reduced to (AgNPs) by chemical or UV reduction. The surface characteristic features, elemental analysis, particle size as well as size distribution of the obtained MFC, NFC and filter paper loaded with AgNPs were characterized via field emission scanning electron microscopy connected to energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM- EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The associated chemical changes after growth of AgNPs onto the cellulose substrates were assessed by fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) while the thermal stability of such systems were investigated by thermogravimetrical analyses (TGA). The antibacterial properties of AgNPs loaded NFC, MFC and filter paper as well was investigated against Escherichia Coli. The resulted data indicate that the particle size was found to be 11 and 26 nm for AgNPs nucleated on NFC and MFC—based papers respectively. The antibacterial activity of AgNPs loaded MFC exhibited higher antibacterial activity than that of AgNPs loaded NFC. Overall, the present research demonstrates facile and fast method for in-situ antibacterial AgNPs loading on cellulose substrates.