Cerium oxide immobilized paper matrices for bactericidal application

Abstract Cerium oxide (CeO 2 ) nanoparticles (NPs) of diameter 20–100 nm have been successfully immobilized into the cellulose fiber matrices. The in situ synthesis was carried out using a single step hydrothermal technique at low temperature without the aid of linker, binder or retention aid. Paper matrices were immobilized with 0–6.5 wt% CeO 2 and were investigated for their antibacterial activity against the Gram negative, E. coli , bacteria in the presence of visible light. It was observed that the paper matrix containing 6.5 wt% CeO 2 inhibits 94% of E. coli growth after 9 h of exposure to visible light with an initial count of 576 × 10 4 CFU ml −1 .