Green synthesis of cellulose/ZrO₂ nanocomposite: assessment of antibacterial and photocatalytic activity

Green chemistry that has been popular for the preparation of nanostructure materials is important to maintain sustainable development. The present work reports green synthesis of cellulose/zirconium oxide nanocomposite (1:1 ratio) and assesses its antimicrobial activity. Cellulose/ZrO₂ nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, FESEM, TEM, and UV–Vis spectrophotometers. Physical parameters such as shape and size have been characterized using UV–Vis spectrophotometers. The XRD results confirm the tetragonal structure of ZrO₂, and the addition of ZrO₂ into cellulose does not affect the crystal phase of cellulose, and the FE-SEM confirmed the presence of ZrO₂ in cellulose polymer matrix. TEM analysis showed that the green-synthesized nanocomposites were uniformly dispersed without any aggregation. Additionally, FT-IR analysis was carried out for the analysis of biomolecules which involved in the capping and reducing agents of cellulose/ZrO₂ nanocomposite. Cellulose/ZrO₂ nanocomposite exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhimurium and Bacillus cereus human pathogens. Notably, the cellulose/ZrO₂ nanocomposite shown higher photocatalytic activity than ZrO₂ nanoparticles. The present work provided an effective, low-cost, and green method for the synthesis of cellulose-zirconium oxide nanocomposite which was utilized as a versatile biomedical application.