Microbial secreted polymers have high molecular weight due to the presence of repeated units of macromolecules. Some of the polymers are derived from natural resources, including marine and soil microorganisms. In nano-biotechnology people are using different biological agents in the preparation of metal nanoparticles. In this study, the microbial bioflocculant polymer was used as an agent in preparation of silver nanoparticles. The prepared nanoparticles were immobilized into the cellulose matrix. The presence of silver nanoparticles inside the cellulose matrix was confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopic (TEM) analyses. The FTIR characterization studies revealed the presence of silver in the cellulose nanocomposites. The XRD analysis indicated the silver peak formation inside the silver nanocomposites. The thermal degradation studies of silver nanocomposites showed that at 450°C the residual weight was completely decreased. The antibacterial activity of silver nanocomposites was tested against E.Coli bacteria.
Keywords: Antibacterial activity; Bioflocculant; Cellulose nanocomposites; Silver nanoparticles; in situ generation.
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