Electrospun PVA Nanofibrous Membranes Reinforced with Silver Nanoparticles Impregnated Cellulosic Fibers: Morphology and Antibacterial Property

To enhance the mechanical and antibacterial properties of silver nanoparticle impregnated cellulosic fibers, carboxy-cellulose nanocrystals(CCNs) were grafted with chitooligosaccharide(COS), which was used as a stabilizer for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Nanofibrous membranes reinforced with silver nanoparticle impregnated cellulosic fibers(CCN-COS-AgNP) were prepared via electrospinning using polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) as a matrix. The effects of CCN-COS-AgNP contents on the morphology, surface composition, mechanical properties, and antibacterial performances of the prepared CCN-COS-AgNP/PVA membranes were examined. The addition of CCN-COS-AgNP certainly improved the mechanical properties and antibacterial performances of the PVA nanofibers. The tensile strength was significantly increased from 4.40 MPa to 8.60 MPa when 8% CCN-COS-AgNP(mass ratio) was introduced. When 10%(mass ratio) CCN-COS-AgNP was added, the nanofibers showed an excellent antibacterial activity for S. aureus(Staphylococcus aureus) and E. coli(Escherichia coli), with the maximum inhibition zones of 2.30 and 1.60 cm, respectively. Moreover, the 2%(mass ratio) CCN-COS-AgNP/PVA fibrous membrane showed 126% cell viability for mg63 human osteoblasts. The electrospun PVA membrane has great potential application in biomedical field.