Preparation and Characterization of Eco-friendly Carboxymethyl Cellulose Antimicrobial Nanocomposite Hydrogels

Carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels were developed through crosslinking process using eco-friendly crosslinkers such as maleic, succinic, and citric acids. Carboxymethyl cellulose was prepared from the cellulosic fraction of olive industry residues. A series of hydrogels with varying crosslinker acid concentrations, reaction times, and reaction temperatures was produced to study the swelling capacities and gel fraction of the obtained hydrogels. Additional study pertains to the preparation of antimicrobial nanocomposite hydrogels through in-situ incorporation of the silver nanoparticles during the crosslinking reaction. Silver nanoparticles were prepared by reduction of AgNO3 with leaves of Ricinus communis. The particle size of prepared silver nanoparticles was detected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Chemical structure and morphological characterizations of the prepared hydrogels were performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Finally, the antimicrobial activity of the loaded silver hydrogels against Gram negative (G -ve), Gram positive (G +ve), and Candida albicans yeast was demonstrated.