Photocatalytic and Biological Activities of Spherical Shape Cellulose/Silver Nanocomposites Using Xenostegia tridentata (L.) Leaf Extract

Abstract

A novel green synthesis of cellulose/Ag nanocomposites (Cell/XTLL Ag NCs) with in situ generated silver nanoparticles using Xenostegia tridentata (L.) leaf extracts (XTLL). The synthesized nanocomposites have been appreciably characterized by SEM, TEM, FT-IR, XRD, UV-Vis spectrometer, AFM, DRS, XPS, TGA, and ICP-OES. The Ag nanoparticles found for the Cell/XTLL 60 mM AgNO3 have an average particle size of 33.78 nm. Moreover, Cell/XTLL Ag NC film, prepared with 60 mM AgNO3, suggests greater antioxidant activity. The most potent cell/XTLL 60 mM AgNO3 against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Trichoderma viride, and Fusarium oxysporum has strong antimicrobial activity and the best antimicrobial properties due to the fact that because the concentration of AgNO3 solution increased, the zone of inhibition additionally accelerated. The Cell/XTLL 60 mM becomes examined in vitro for its ability of human tumor cell growth inhibitory impact on human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 using MTT assay. The catalytic activity of Cell/XTLL 60 mM AgNO3 was assessed by the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and compared with bare cellulose. The Ag NPs are homogeneously unfolded out in Cell/XTLL 60 mM AgNO3 which leads to low electron-hole recombination and accelerated dye adsorption. In particular, 100 mg of Cell/XTLL 60 mM AgNO3, as catalyst, showed excellent photocatalytic activity with the efficiency of 91% degradation of methylene blue (MB).