Glass and cellulose acetate fibers-supported boehmite nanosheets for bacteria adsorption

Abstract In this work, in situ method of producing hybrid fibrous adsorbents in which boehmite nanosheets with high sorption properties formed on the surface of hydrophilic microfibres, such as cellulose acetate and glass fibre, was described. The boehmite nanosheets were fabricated by the reaction of composite AlN/Al nanoparticles with water at 60 °C. The synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, scanning, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), zeta-potential and specific surface area analyzers. The introduction of microfibres into a diluted aqueous suspension of nanopowders causes heteroadagulation of the nanoparticles and accelerates their further transformation. This effect is most substantial with the glass microfibre, which is thought to have a higher concentration of surface groups capable of generating hydrogen bonds that act as heteroadagulation and nucleation centres. The experimental results showed that the morphology of the resultant hybrid fibrous adsorbents differed accordingly: the nanosheets were attached on-edge to the glass microfibre surface, while on the surface of the cellulose acetate microfibre, they were secured in the form of spherical “nanoflowers” of agglomerated nanosheets. The effect of the morphology of hybrid fibrous adsorbents on adsorption bacteria Escherichia coli was also investigated.