Fabrication of antibacterial PVA/Bentonite/Ag Composite Nanofibers with Bio-AgNPs synthesized with Fusarium sporotrichioides

Nowadays, membranes and filters made of nanofibers are extensively considered in various fields, such as medicine, water purification, etc. Using an environmentally-friendly method, this study fabricated a nanofiber-based on PVA, bentonite, and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with good mechanical strength. Due to conventional AgNPs synthesis methods' toxicity, AgNPs were synthesized by Fusarium sporotrichioides . The MGYP culture medium and the AgNO 3 12 M were optimal for Bio-AgNPs synthesis. Bio-AgNPs particle size and zeta potentials were 58 nm and -16.8 mV, respectively. The growth inhibition zone of Bio-AgNPs in E. coli and S. aureus was 0.53 and 0.80 mm, respectively and comparable with chloramphenicol. Then, the optimized Bio-AgNPs and a sample with chemical synthesis AgNPs were used to prepare the PVA/nano-Bentonite/nano-Ag (PVA/NB/AgNPs) nanofiber. The presence of silver in the nanofibers was confirmed through EDX and XRD methods. The diameter of nanofibers was 230 nm. The antibacterial activity of PVA/NB/Bio-AgNPs nanofibers was significantly better against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria compared to PVA/NB/Chem-AgNPs nanofibers. The produced membrane is suitable for water treatment, food packaging, and wound dressing because of its good thermal, mechanical, and antibacterial properties.