Preparation, Characterization, and Antibacterial Properties of Silver Nanoparticles Embedded into Cellulose Aerogels

In this article, highly loaded silver (Ag) nanoparticles with mean diameter of about 7.83 nm were synthesized by reducing Ag ions by NaBH4 with strong reducibility, and homogeneously embedded into cellulose aerogels without obvious reunion. The as-prepared nano-Ag/cellulose (NAC) aerogels maintained nanoporous and multiscale morphology similar to the pure cellulose aerogels, and showed strong antibacterial activities for both Escherichia coli (Gram negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive). Meanwhile, after the incorporation of Ag nanoparticles, NAC aerogels also displayed more superior thermal stability. Thus, the novel NAC aerogels might be expected to be used as various biomedical applications, especially green heat-resistant high-performance antibacterial materials. (C) 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers