Beyond Conventional: Antibacterial, Antioxidant, and Photocatalytic Properties of Nanofibers Featuring Metal-Oxide-Modified Boron Nitride Nanoparticles

OpenAlex İngilizce

CuO-, ZrO 2 -, and ZnO-immobilized functional boron nitride (fBN) nanoparticles were synthesized by an environmentally friendly approach using a Stevia rebaudiana extract. Metal-oxide-immobilized fBN nanoparticles (fBN/MO)-incorporated (1 wt %) polyvinyl alcohol/poly(acrylic acid) composite nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning, and their antibacterial, antioxidant, and photocatalytic properties were investigated. fBN/CuO and fBN/ZnO nanoparticles were distributed randomly, showcasing nonuniform geometries besides polygonal-shaped fBN/ZrO 2 nanoparticles. fBN/MO nanoparticles exhibited a uniform dispersion along the composite nanofibers, with diameters between 115 and 160 nm. The incorporation of fBN/MO nanoparticles into the composite nanofibers (0.074–0.753 W/mK) resulted in an improvement in both thermal stability and conductivity when compared with PVA/PAA nanofibers (0.063 W/mK). fBN/MO-modified composite nanofibers exhibited an antibacterial efficacy exceeding 99% against Streptococcus mutans, Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, augmenting their antioxidant properties. The modified composite nanofibers, particularly those incorporating fBN/ZrO 2 nanoparticles, exhibited effective photocatalytic remediation against methylene blue (MB) with the highest activity, attributed to their favorable morphological and optoelectronic properties, resulting in a remarkably more than 20-fold improvement. Enhanced stability for repeated treatment of MB for a minimum of three cycles was achieved. The multifunctional nature of nanofibers unveils synergistic antibacterial, antioxidant, and photodegradation effects, positioning them as promising for biomaterials and water disinfection.