In situ biosynthesis of functionalized fluorescent bacterial cellulose

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a porous biopolymer synthesized via microbial fermentation. BC exhibits remarkable properties and is widely utilized in diverse applications. Despite all its merits, BC is constrained by certain performance limitations. This study aims to fabricate fluorescent BC through in situ biosynthesis approach. The successful covalent incorporation of fluorescent molecules into BC polymer chain was confirmed by infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses indicated that the functionalized fluorescent BC retained excellent three-dimensional network structure and also preserved the introduced fluorescence property. Yet the introduction of these functional molecules led to certain degree of reduction in crystallinity, thermal stability, and surface energy. Hemolysis and cell proliferation assays demonstrated that the functionalized BC exhibited favorable biocompatibility. All in all, this novel functionalized fluorescent BC has immense potential for biomedical applications.