Green Antibacterial Nanocomposites from Poly(lactide)/Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/Nanocrystal Cellulose Silver Nanohybrids

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with a diameter of 3-6 nm were uniformly reacted onto the surface of nanocrystal cellulose (NCC) via complexation leading to NCC-Ag nanohybrids with an AgNP content of 8 wt %. Subsequently, antibacterial green nanocomposites containing renewable and biodegradable poly(lactide) (PLA), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and NCC-Ag nanohybrids were synthesized and investigated. The PBAT as flexibilizer improved the toughness of the PLA matrix while the uniformly dispersed NCC-Ag nanohybrids enhanced the compatibility, thermal stability, crystallization, and antibacterial properties of the PLA/ PBAT blends. The crystallization rate and the storage modulus (E') of the green nanocomposites were increased obviously with increasing content of CNC-Ag nanohybrids. Meanwhile, notably the antibacterial activity of the PLA/PBAT/NCC-Ag nanocomposites was achieved against both Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Grampositive Staphylococcus aureus cells. The antibacterial performance was mainly related to the antibacterial nature of the finely dispersed NCC-Ag nanohybrids. The study great potential of the greendemonstrates nanocomposites in functional packaging and antibacterial textile applications.