SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES EVALUATION OF NANOPARTICLES SUPPORTED ON NON-MODIFIED CELLULOSE FILMS

Abstract

This proposal aims to use unmodified cellulose films (CEL) as support for different types of nanoparticles. The motivations for the use of this biopolymer are low cost, high abundance, biocompatibility, non-toxicity and because it is obtained from a renewable source. In addition, the film produced by unmodified cellulose shows good chemical and thermal stabilities and impressive mechanical properties. The use of nanoparticles as powder or as dispersion has some disadvantages, such as: (a) aggregation in the reaction medium (b) need of filtration or centrifugation processes to separate them from the reaction medium. The immobilization of nanoparticles in films increases the applicability and avoids processes of aggregation and separation of the medium. The films of celluloses will be added with silver nanoparticles (AgNP), aiming to obtain curatives with cicatrizing and bactericidal activities, with gold nanoparticles (AuNP), aiming at obtaining films that will act as heterogeneous catalysts in chemical reactions, with nanoparticles of TiO2 (TiO2NP) which will be used as photocatalyst for degradation of methylene blue and also with MnO2 that will be used as catalysts in the degradation of indigo carmine. These activities are related to the theses of fours students under my supervision (All students are CAPES fellowships). Two of them will end their thesis in august 2020, one in April 2022 and another in April 2020. (AU)