Lignin-containing Nanocellulose for in situ Chemical-Free Synthesis of AgAu-based Nanoparticles with Potent Antibacterial Activities

[Image: see text] Lignin-containing nanocelluloses (LNCs) have the properties of both lignin and nanocellulose and could overcome the limits of both individual components in metallic nanoparticle synthesis. However, studies on LNCs are still limited, and the potential of such nanomaterials for metallic nanoparticle synthesis has not been fully unraveled. In this study, monometallic silver, gold nanoparticles, and Ag–Au–AgCl nanohybrids were synthesized in situ utilizing LNCs in a chemical-free approach. The parameters, including Ag(+) and Au(3+) concentrations as well as [Au(3+)]/[Ag(+)] ratios, were investigated for their effects on the nanoparticle synthesis. The characterizations, including UV–vis spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), confirmed the coexistence of Ag, Au, and AgCl while indicating the key role of lignin and oxygen-containing functional groups in the nanoparticle synthesis. The as-synthesized AgNPs-, AuNPs-, and nanohybrids-LNC samples were tested for their antibacterial activities. In comparison to the monometallic AgNPs-LNC sample, nanohybrids-LNC synthesized with 0.063 mM Au(3+) loading showed superior antibacterial activities with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) at 5 μg/mL against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and 10 μg/mL against Gram-negative Salmonella typhimurium with controlled Ag(+) release. The results indicated that LNCs can be used to synthesize metallic nanoparticles, and the resultant Ag–Au–AgCl nanohybrids were a potent antibacterial agent with reduced environmental impacts.