High efficiency antimicrobial cellulose‐based nanocomposite hydrogels

ABSTRACT Carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels were developed through crosslinking process using maleic, succinic, or citric acids. The swelling capacities of the obtained hydrogels have been controlled through variation of the crosslinking reaction conditions. Further enhancement of the swelling properties was achieved by additional blending step of the carboxymethyl cellulose with polyethylene glycol. Biofunctionalization of the hydrogels was achieved through “ in situ ” incorporation of the silver nanoparticles during the crosslinked reaction. Chemical structure verifications and morphological characterizations of the hydrogels were performed using FTIR, XRD, EDX, and SEM analyses. Finally, the antimicrobial activity of the loaded silver hydrogels against G+ve, G−ve, and yeast Candida albicans was demonstrated. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132 , 42327.