Antibacterial properties and cytocompatibility of bio-based nanostructured carbon aerogels derived from silver nanoparticles deposited onto bacterial cellulose

Abstract

An AgNP (silver nanoparticle)-deposited bio-based nanostructured carbon aerogel (denoted as p-BC/AgNP) with a three-dimensional (3D) porous network structure was fabricated by carbonizing AgNP bacterial cellulose (denoted as BC/AgNP). The unique 3D nano-network structure gave the hydrophobic p-BC/AgNP good mechanical properties and water reabsorption capacity. AgNPs uniformly dispersed onto the fibers, combining more firmly with fibers after the carbonization process, and no rapid release of Ag⁺ occurred in an in vitro release test. As an antibacterial material, p-BC/AgNP has an excellent antibacterial effect on Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), for which the inhibition rate was over 99%. Moreover, p-BC/AgNP was good for cell attachment and normal proliferation, which was revealed by fluorescence microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and an MTT assay in Bel-7402 cells. Because of all the above, p-BC/AgNP might be a desirable antibacterial material that could be used as a new kind of wound dressing, implant, and drug release carrier, and in other biomedical fields.