Bacterial infectious diseases are serious health problem which extends to economic and social complications. Moreover, bacterial antibiotic resistance, lack of suitable vaccine or emergence of new mutations is forcing the development of novel antimicrobial agents. The objective of this study is to synthesize and characterize star-like zinc oxide nanoparticles for the application of antibacterial activities in cellulose based hygiene products. ZnO NPs were in situ synthesized via precipitation method on the surface of cellulose fibers. Since bactericidal activity of nanoparticles in part depends on the concentration in the growth medium, various amount of ZnO was incorporated into cellulose matrix ranging from 1 to 3 wt%. Microscopic (TEM, SEM) and spectroscopic (FT-IR, XRD) methods were utilized to investigate the final products. The infrared absorption spectra analysis supported by theoretical finding that during the reaction, ZnO nanoparticles could be bonded with cellulose fibers via hydrogen bonding. The yield of functionalization was determined through thermogravimetric analysis. Collected data proved the successful functionalization of the cellulose fibers with nanoparticles. Static contact angle measurements were carried out showing absorptive character of as prepared fabrics. All the samples were tested for the antibacterial properties and the results were compared to the samples prepared from the pristine cellulose fibers. Moreover, mechanical tests were performed revealing that the addition of only 2 wt% of the nanofiller boosted tensile, tearing and bursting strength by a factor of 1.6, 1.4 and 2.2 in comparison to unfunctionalized paper sample, respectively. Fabricated fabric presenting high hydrophilicity and antibacterial properties have gained increased applications in fabric industry, including hygiene product industry and hence the result of this study would be a welcomed option.
In this study, hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets enriched with hydroxyl groups (h-BN-OH) were successfully grafted on the surface of cellulose fibers after the simple and effective exfoliation and oxidation of bulk h-BN. OH groups of h-BN-OH and the ones presented on the surface of cellulose fibers interacted via hydrogen bonding. Both spectroscopic (FT-IR, XRD) and microscopic (TEM, SEM, and atomic force microscopy (AFM)) methods results proved the successful functionalization of the cellulose fibers with the nanomaterial. Modified cellulose fibers were used to prepare paper sheets samples with different concentrations of the nanomaterial (1 wt %, 2 wt %, and 3 wt %). All the samples were tested for the antibacterial properties via the colony forming unit method and exhibited good performance against both Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. epidermidis) model bacteria. Additionally, the influence of the volume of working bacterial suspension on the antibacterial efficiency of the obtained materials was examined. The results showed significantly better antibacterial performance when the volume of bacterial suspension was reduced. Mechanical properties of the paper samples with and without nanofiller were also characterized. Tensile strength, tearing strength, and bursting strength of the paper samples containing only 2 wt % of the nanofiller were improved by 60%, 61%, and 118% in comparison to the control paper samples, respectively. Furthermore, the nanofiller improved the thermal properties of the composite paper—the heat release rate decreased by up to 11.6%. Therefore, the composite paper can be further explored in a wide range of antibacterial materials, such as packaging or paper coatings
to its bulk counterparts. The improvement of some properties is due to the increase in surface area-high surface to volume ratio of nanoparticles enhance some of their properties at low concentrations and provides exceptional chemical and physical properties, i.e., high amount of surface active sites, good mechanical strength, and thermal stability. [2] Among transition metal oxides, ZnO nanomaterials are widely exploited in a number of fields, such as anti-UV additives, photocatalysis, chemical sensors, or piezoelectric transducers. [3] Moreover, ZnO nanoparticles have emerged as very efficient tool to prevent microbial proliferation due to excellent antibacterial activity against vast range of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In this case zinc oxide can be incorporated into textiles, surfaces coatings, cosmetics as well as cellulose fibers to inhibit microbial growth and to reduce the risk of illnesses, infections and food poisoning outbreaks. Along with other metal and metal-oxides nanoparticles such as silver or titanium compounds, ZnO has attracted considerable attention because it is regarded as a safe material for both humans and animals. [4] In addition to that only small amount of this material is required to exhibit strong antibacterial activity, which is attributed to the nanoscale surface effect, and surface/volume aspect.The mechanism of the antibacterial performance of ZnO has been widely discussed in the literature but it still remains under constant investigation. [5] According to researchers it is attributed to several viewpoints. It mainly involves the release of oxygen species from the surface of nanoparticles which cause the oxidative stress and fatal damage of microorganisms through cell wall and cell membrane decomposition and subsequent leakage of cell content. Another possible mechanism is the release of Zn + ions which can damage the cell membrane and penetrate intracellular content which mainly results from its solubility in the microorganisms containing medium. [6] Yet another important factor behind cell damage is the contact between the bacterial cell and the particle whereby microenvironment within the contact area is changed. Therefore, physical damage of bacteria cell wall can be induced which leads to its disintegration and eventual death of bacteria cell. [7] It isThe discovery and characterization of nanoparticles represent a multidisciplinary issue. Their properties and applications within many fields depend on their size, shape, aspect ratio, and so on. No single methodology can currently analyze all characteristics and reveal their influence on the specific performance. Here, antibacterial and mechanical properties are investigated of three different ZnO nanoparticles (cubes, rods, and pellets) incorporated in the cellulose matrix in order to examine the correlation between the physical and chemical characteristics and antibacterial/mechanical activities. Therefore, various particles of ZnO with different sizes, shapes, and aspect ratios are synthesized via simple pr...
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.