Comparative study of cellulose/Ag nanocomposites using four cellulose types

The purpose of this study was to explore the influences of cellulose types on the cellulose/Ag nanocomposites via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The cellulose/Ag nanocomposites were successfully fabricated using AgNO3 and four types of cellulose (cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), cellulose fibers (CF), and holocellulose (HC)), in which the cellulose simultaneously served as the reducing agent and substrate for silver ions. The effects of different cellulose types on the products were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The experimental results revealed that the cellulose types played a vital role on the size, number, and morphology of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). It is believed that these results could be a guidance for the synthesis of cellulose/Ag nanocomposites in the future.