Sustainable fabrication of functional bioaerogels with enhanced absorbency, permeability, and antibacterial properties from waste carrot pulp and pineapple leaf extracts

Abstract

Cellulose nanofiber aerogels (CNFAs) exhibit desirable properties such as nontoxicity, high surface area-to-volume ratio, porosity, and biocompatibility. Their strong capacity to absorb moisture and blood exudates makes them suitable for wound dressings, with broad applications in biomedicine and antimicrobial textiles. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can adhere to the surfaces of pathogenic bacteria, disrupting critical functions such as membrane permeability and respiration. In this study, cellulose nanofibers were prepared from waste carrot pulp and reacted with polyetheramines to form CNFAs. These aerogels were subsequently loaded with green synthesized AgNPs produced using pineapple leaf extract. Characterization revealed that 96.2 % of the AgNPs had diameters smaller than 100 nm. The resulting aerogels exhibited a water vapor transmission rate that exceeded 2000 g·m⁻²·d⁻¹ and a water absorption capacity greater than 1000 % of their own weight. It was found that the water vapor transmission rate and water absorption capacity of the aerogels could be tuned by adjusting the hydrophilicity and molecular weight of the polyetheramines. Furthermore, polyetheramines containing difunctional primary amine groups formed highly cross-linked networks with CNFs, resulting in densely distributed pores. AgNP-loaded CNFAs also demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. These findings highlight the potential of these materials for use in antimicrobial textiles and advanced wound care applications.