Preparation and characterization of antibacterial fibrous membranes composites based on green synthesized nanoparticles loaded on electrospun polyacrylonitrile fibrous membranes

The functionalization of electrospun nanofibers with a wide range of materials allows them to be used for a variety of applications. In this work, Ag NPs, ZnO NPs and CuO NPs were synthesized through green methods and characterized then incorporated separately in PAN nanofibers using electrospinning technique to fabricate antibacterial membranes with high-dispersed green synthesized nanoparticles. The nanofibers composites PAN/AgNPs, PAN/ZnO NPs and PAN/CuONPs and plain PAN were characterized using SEM, FTIR, EDX, furthermore, antibacterial properties and mechanical properties were also analyzed. The nanofiber composites were used for filtration of contaminated drinking water. The results indicated that the surface morphology of PAN loaded with NPs became uneven, rough and irregular compared with plain PAN. The mechanical properties of PAN can be effectively enhanced with the addition of NPs. The cumulative amounts of the released NPs and the bactericidal activities of the nanofiber composites against Gram negative Escherichia coli was evaluated. All samples exhibited antibacterial properties; however, the sample with Ag NPs exhibited better antibacterial activity. By considering the excellent results of nanofibrous composites, they can therefore be recommended for water disinfection applications.