Cynara Scolymus Derived Carbon Dots as Functional Nanofillers for Sustainable Bioactive Furcellaran/Carboxymethyl Cellulose Films

Abstract

Furcellaran (FUR) is a polysaccharide extracted from red algae with excellent film forming abilities. Meanwhile, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is a polymer derived from cellulose and possesses desirable characteristics like non-allergen and fracture resistance. Blending these two complementary polymers can contribute to the preparation of sustainable materials with improved properties and meet the pillars of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On the other hand, the absence of antioxidant and antibacterial capabilities shall restrict the potential use of these materials in several fields such as biomedical applications and packaging. Herein, FUR/CMC films incorporated with different amounts of carbon quantum dots synthesized from Cynara Scolymus (artichoke leaves, arti-CQDs) were prepared by solvent casting. The UV shielding properties were highly improved, the hydrophobicity was increased and equilibrium swelling ratio was decreased in FUR/CMC/arti-CQD films depending on the amount of polycrystalline structured arti-CQD. The Young’s modulus decreased, and more flexible films were obtained. The FUR/CMC/arti-CQD films displayed excellent antioxidant properties and antibacterial activity towards Gram-positive (S. aureus and L.monocytogenes) and Gram-negative (E.coli) bacteria depending on arti-CQD amount. The antibacterial FUR/CMC/arti-CQD films were non-toxic towards L 929 mouse fibroblasts. It is concluded that FUR/CMC/arti-CQD films have notable potential as bioactive, sustainable, and renewable materials.