Bacterial cellulose (BC), with unique structure and properties, has attracted much attention in the biomedical field, especially in using as wound dressing. However, pure BC lacks the antimicrobial activity, which limits its application in wound healing. To solve this problem, copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) loaded BC membranes were fabricated by using in situ chemical reduction method. The morphology and chemical composition of the composite membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that Cu NPs evenly distributed and anchored in the three-dimensional (3-D) nanofiber network of BC through physical bonding. Traces of Cu2O were observed on the membranes probably because the Cu2+ was incompletely reduced. The Cu NPs loaded BC membranes showed efficient long-term antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) even after immersion in deionized water for up to 90 days. The composite membranes kept sustained release of copper ion, which may contribute to the long-term antibacterial activity. Furthermore, with controlled Cu concentration, BC/Cu membranes did not show obvious cytotoxicity to normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF). In all, the present results reveal that BC/Cu membranes with efficient antibacterial activity are promising to be used as wound dressings.
Keywords: Bacterial cellulose; copper ion release; copper nanoparticles; long-term antibacterial property; three-dimensional nanofiber network.