Modification of Bacterial Nanocellulose Using Nonthermal Plasma-Assisted Enzymatic Hydrolysis

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a promising biomaterial with unique structural properties.
• Modifying BC's structure is key to tailoring its performance for diverse applications.
• Enzymatic hydrolysis and plasma treatments are explored as methods for BC structural modification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the structural modification of bacterial cellulose (BC) using enzymatic hydrolysis.
• To explore the synergistic effects of combining enzymatic hydrolysis with nonthermal plasma treatments.
• To optimize conditions for enhanced BC defibrillation and property tuning.

Main Methods:

• Enzymatic hydrolysis of BC with varying cellulase activities and substrate concentrations.
• Nonthermal plasma treatment using plasma-activated water (PAW) and a plasma bubble reactor.
• Characterization of modified BC using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy (cryo-TEM).

Main Results:

• Optimal hydrolysis conditions (50 U/g BC; 20 g/L BC) yielded BNC1 with balanced recovery and homogeneity.
• Plasma-activated water (PAW) pretreatment (BNC2) resulted in similar yields to BNC1, suggesting pH regulation.
• Plasma bubble reactor pretreatment (BNC3) significantly increased yield to 78% due to radical-induced chain modification.
• Dual enzymatic and plasma strategies led to BC defibrillation, reduced melting temperature, and decreased crystallinity.

Conclusions:

• Dual enzymatic and plasma-assisted strategies offer novel approaches for bacterial cellulose modification.
• These methods enable fine-tuning of cellulose nanocomposite properties for sustainable applications.
• The study highlights the potential of combining different treatment methods for advanced material design.