Fabrication of cellulose-based antimicrobial films integrated with in situ synthesized silver nanoparticles using Psidium guajava leaf extract

Cellulose-based antibacterial nanocomposite films were prepared by adding silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized in situ using a guava leaf extract. The nanocomposite films were synthesized using the solution casting method and characterized by analytical methods. The FTIR analysis indicated the presence of the carbonyl groups of guava leaf extract and hydroxyl groups of cellulose in the in situ synthesized AgNPs. The XRD analysis confirmed the AgNPs in the nanocomposites. SEM analysis revealed the presence of spherical AgNPs in the size range of 60-90 nm. The addition of AgNPs increased the tensile strength and thermal stability of composites. In addition, the cellulose-based nanocomposite film wasn't showed very significant antibacterial activity against various foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, the prepared cellulose/AgNPs nanocomposite film is eco-friendly and exhibits excellent tensile strength and thermal stability along with a wide range of antimicrobial activity, so it is considered to be suitable for biomedical and food packaging applications.