Preparation and characterization of quaternary bacterial cellulose composites for antimicrobial oil-absorbing materials

The treatment of various types of oily wastewater is paramount for environmental protection. Bacterial cellulose (BC) stands out as a highly promising material for oil/water separation, owing to its exceptional mechanical properties and three-dimensional porous structures. However, excessive hydroxyl groups on BC make it highly hydrophilic, reducing oil absorption and promoting bacterial growth, affecting its stability. To address these challenges, we developed a straightforward in situ polymerization method for the preparation of BC-DMC composites. The innovation lies in the concurrent enhancement of BC's hydrophobicity and antimicrobial properties only through the addition of 2-(Methacryloyloxy)ethyltrimethylammonium chloride (DMC), considerably simplifying the synthesis of materials possessing oil-absorbing and antimicrobial properties. Morphological and structural characterization results confirmed the successful combination of DMC onto BC while maintaining its porous structure. After process parameter optimization, the BC-DMC composites exhibited a remarkable increase in contact angle (117.7 degrees compared with pure BC's 19.5 degrees). It also demonstrated excellent oil absorption performance, with maximum capacities exceeding 30 g/g for different oils, maintaining values above 20 g/g even after eight cycles. In addition, the BC-DMC composites exhibited strong antibacterial activity, with rates of 82.4% against Escherichia coli and 97.5% against Staphylococcus aureus. The antibacterial mechanism of the BC-DMC composites was also discussed. Our novel BC-DMC composites provides excellent oil absorption and antibacterial properties, making it highly applicable in the field of oily wastewater treatment and serving as a valuable reference for other researchers. Preparation Process and Antibacterial Oil-Absorption Performance of BC-DMC Composites.image