Nam Sunghyun, Rumi Shaida S, Abidi Noureddine, Kim Hee Jin, He Zhongqi, Hinchliffe Doug J, Hasan Kashem Md Nayeem, Hillyer Matthew B, King Holly
Cotton Fiber Bioscience and Utilization Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Southern Regional Research Center New Orleans LA 70124 USA
Department of Plant and Soil Science, Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute, Texas Tech University Lubbock TX 79409 USA.
Nanoscale Adv. 2025 Jul 7. doi: 10.1039/d5na00188a.
As a key agricultural commodity, cotton fibers play a vital role in the global economy. However, unpredictable growing conditions often result in immature cotton fibers, leading to substantial economic losses for both cotton growers and industries. This study revealed the untapped commercial potential of immature cotton fibers-their superior ability to synthesize antimicrobial silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). Without external reducing or stabilizing agents, immature cotton fibers produced Ag NPs ( 10 nm in diameter) at a concentration (2 wt% based on the dry fiber weight) more than three times higher than that of mature cotton fibers. This enhanced nanoparticle synthesis was attributed to structural and morphological characteristics of immature cotton fibers, which are defects in traditional textile applications. High Volume Instrument (HVI), Advanced Fiber Information system (AFIS), and fiber cross-sectional analysis showed that immature cotton fibers have a greater surface area for the infusion of Ag precursor ions and higher concentrations of natural reducing agents per unit weight due to their smaller amounts of secondary cell walls and larger amounts of primary cell walls and lumens. The resulting Ag NP-filled fibers are expected to open new market opportunities in filtration systems and biomedical applications.
作为一种关键的农产品，棉纤维在全球经济中发挥着至关重要的作用。然而，不可预测的生长条件常常导致棉纤维不成熟，给棉农和相关产业带来巨大的经济损失。本研究揭示了不成熟棉纤维尚未开发的商业潜力——它们合成抗菌银纳米颗粒（Ag NPs）的卓越能力。在没有外部还原剂或稳定剂的情况下，不成熟棉纤维产生的Ag NPs（直径为10纳米）浓度（基于干纤维重量为2 wt%）比成熟棉纤维高出三倍多。这种增强的纳米颗粒合成归因于不成熟棉纤维的结构和形态特征，而这些特征在传统纺织应用中是缺陷。大容量测试仪（HVI）、先进纤维信息系统（AFIS）和纤维横截面分析表明，由于不成熟棉纤维的次生细胞壁较少，初生细胞壁和内腔较多，因此具有更大的表面积用于注入Ag前驱体离子，且每单位重量含有更高浓度的天然还原剂。由此产生的填充Ag NP的纤维有望在过滤系统和生物医学应用中开拓新的市场机会。
