Green synthesis of cellulose/ZrO2 nanocomposite: assessment of antibacterial and photocatalytic activity

Green chemistry that has been popular for the preparation of nanostructure materials is important to maintain sustainable development. The present work reports green synthesis of cellulose/zirconium oxide nanocomposite (1:1 ratio) and assesses its antimicrobial activity. Cellulose/ZrO2 nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, FESEM, TEM, and UV-Vis spectrophotometers. Physical parameters such as shape and size have been characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometers. The XRD results confirm the tetragonal structure of ZrO2, and the addition of ZrO2 into cellulose does not affect the crystal phase of cellulose, and the FE-SEM confirmed the presence of ZrO2 in cellulose polymer matrix. TEM analysis showed that the green-synthesized nanocomposites were uniformly dispersed without any aggregation. Additionally, FT-IR analysis was carried out for the analysis of biomolecules which involved in the capping and reducing agents of cellulose/ZrO2 nanocomposite. Cellulose/ZrO2 nanocomposite exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhimurium and Bacillus cereus human pathogens. Notably, the cellulose/ZrO2 nanocomposite shown higher photocatalytic activity than ZrO2 nanoparticles. The present work provided an effective, low-cost, and green method for the synthesis of cellulose-zirconium oxide nanocomposite which was utilized as a versatile biomedical application.