Microwave Assisted Synthesis and Carboxymethyl Cellulose Stabilized Copper Nanoparticles on Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers Support for Pollutants Degradation

Bacterial cellulose (BC), a green biopolymer synthesized by certain bacteria, has been widely used for supporting different metal or their oxide nanoparticles which were utilized for different purposes. In this article, we report on using BC as a support for transition metal nanoparticles for catalysis purpose of organic pollutants. BC was synthesized using Gluconacetobacter xylinum. Then the copper (Cu) nanoparticles were synthesized by a quick procedure of microwave heating of the CuSO4 and hydrazine mixed aqueous solution in the presence of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Typically, 10 μL suspension of the CMC stabilized Cu nanoparticles was coated on the BC nanofibers (CMC-Cu-BC) and further used for the catalytic reductions of methylene blue, 4-nitrophenol and in their mixed solution by sodium borohydride. All the samples were also characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and field emission scanning electron microscope. Our finding suggests that supported Cu nanoparticles catalyst performance was slower than its suspension. However, the ease of separation of the supported CMC-Cu-BC was appealing to be used.