(176f) Developing Materials with Antimicrobial Properties By Using Cellulose Derivatives, Zn-Metal-Organic Frameworks and Eugenol

Cellulose derivatives have gained significant interest for emerging applications due to their biodegradability, abundance, and versatile properties. One area of research focuses on enhancing their antimicrobial properties, which is crucial for various applications ranging from biomedical to food packaging or environmental applications [1]. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as materials with diverse applications, including antimicrobial activity, Zinc-based MOFs have shown promise due to their inherent antimicrobial properties. Eugenol, a natural compound found in essential oils like clove oil, is known for its strong antimicrobial activity against a wide range of pathogens [2]. This research aims to investigate the synergistic effects of these components and explore their potential in developing sustainable and effective antimicrobial materials.

In this research, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), a cellulose derivative, was utilized as the base material. Zinc metal-organic framework (Zn-MOF) was synthesized in situ by reacting zinc nitrate hexahydrate and 2-methylimidazole in water with the carboxymethylcellulose [3]. The resulting composite of cellulose and Zn-MOF was characterized using FTIR spectroscopy to analyze its chemical structure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was employed to study the surface morphology and elemental distribution of the Zn-MOF-cellulose material. Subsequently, the Zn-MOF-cellulose composite was mixed with polyvinyl alcohol, NaCl, and varying concentrations of eugenol (1, 2 or 3 % v/v). The antimicrobial activity of this mixture was assessed using the well diffusion test on nutrient agar plates inoculated with E. coli and S. aureus, the plates were punched and filled with the CMC-MOF-eugenol solution, the inhibitory halo was measured [1].

The surface chemical groups of Zn-MOF@cellulose were analyzed using FTIR, revealing characteristic cellulose absorption peaks in the spectra, along with absorption bands attributed to MOF ligands and the metallic center. EDS mapping of the Zn-MOF@cellulose sample showed an even elemental distribution on its surface, indicating a uniform dispersion of Zn-MOF. SEM images revealed that the average size of Zn-MOF particles was 5 µm, and they grew over the cellulose fibers [4]. The solution was placed in a 10 mm diameter hole, the inhibition halo for eugenol concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 3% was 19.2 mm, 24.09 mm, and 26.76 mm for S. aureus, respectively, and 26.65 mm, 29.51 mm, and 31.71 mm for E. coli.

The uniform dispersion of Zn-MOF on the cellulose fibers indicates that the synthesis method used in this study was effective in producing a homogeneous composite material. The presence of characteristic cellulose absorption peaks in the FTIR spectra of the composite material indicates that the addition of Zn-MOF and eugenol did not significantly alter the structure of the cellulose derivatives, suggesting that the developed materials are likely to be compatible with cellulose-based products, making them easier to integrate into existing applications. The incorporation of Zn-MOF and eugenol into cellulose derivatives has led to a significant enhancement in antimicrobial activity. The observed differences in inhibition halo size with varying eugenol concentrations suggest that the antimicrobial activity of the composite material can be tuned by adjusting the eugenol content, this opens possibilities for the development of materials with controlled release properties for sustained antimicrobial action.

Keywords

Metal-organic frameworks, cellulose derivatives, antimicrobial materials

References

1. Hernández-López, R.; López-Malo, A.; Navarro-Amador, R.; Ramírez-Corona, N. Sustainable Filters with Antimicrobial Action from Sugarcane Bagasse: A Novel Waste Utilization Approach. Waste 2024, 2, 122–135, doi:10.3390/waste2010007.
2. Chen, K.; Brennan, C.; Cao, J.; Cheng, G.; Li, L.; Qin, Y.; Chen, H. Characterization of chitosan/eugenol-loaded IRMOF-3 nanoparticles composite films with sustained antibacterial activity and their application in postharvest preservation of strawberries. LWT 2023, 186, 115270, doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2023.115270.
3. Hao, D.; Fu, B.; Zhou, J.; Liu, J. Efficient particulate matter removal by metal-organic frameworks encapsulated in cellulose/chitosan foams. Sep. Purif. Technol. 2022, 294, 120927, doi:10.1016/J.SEPPUR.2022.120927.
4. Lu, Y.; Liu, C.; Mei, C.; Sun, J.; Lee, J.; Wu, Q.; Hubbe, M.A.; Li, M.C. Recent advances in metal organic framework and cellulose nanomaterial composites. Coord. Chem. Rev. 2022, 461, 214496, doi:10.1016/J.CCR.2022.214496.