In situ green synthesis of AgNPs in bacterial cellulose membranes and antibacterial properties of the composites against pathogenic bacteria

An environmentally feasible approach was adopted for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the BC membrane using Komagataeibacter intermedius (MBS-88) strain. BC production was optimized, resulting in 14.72 g/L of BC when crude glycerol was utilized as a carbon source. The produced BC has a tensile strength of 387 N/m2, an elongation at break % of 2.04, and a Young's modulus of 304 MPa. The bacterial cellulose/AgNP composites have been successfully synthesized using BC as a template via the hydrothermal synthesis in which bacterial cellulose itself acts as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The characterization of the synthesized AgNPs was carried out using electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), Fourier transform infrared microscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Adherence of AgNPs to the surface of the BC matrix was observed under SEM. Particle size distribution shows nanoparticles are in the range of 5-45 nm. XRD shows AgNPs peaks at 38.2 degrees (111), 46.3 degrees (200), and 64.5 degrees (220). Peaks of Ag 3d at 367.58 eV and 373.55 eV, along with C 1 s at 284.26 eV and O 1 s at 532.16 eV, were observed in XPS spectra. BC/Ag nanocomposite disk showed better antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 2228 (6.5 +/- 0.1 mm), Staphylococcus aureus 29,213 (6 +/- 0.2 mm), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.1 +/- 0.2 mm). Thus, the synthesized BC-AgNPs could be used in controlling wound infections as an alternative to chemical synthesis that might have deleterious effects on the ecosystem.