Green extraction of natural antibacterial cellulose-based nanofibers from pine cone

Nanocellulose-based antibacterial materials, which hold excellent biocompatibility and dispersion stability, are attractive candidates to replace traditional antibacterial materials in blocking the spread of bacteria. However, environmentally polluting and complex preparation processes hinder the development of antibacterial nanocellulose. Herein, we propose a simple and green strategy for extracting natural antibacterial cellulose-based nanofibers (P-CNFs) from pine cones by directly thermo-oxidizing natural pine cones with H 2 O 2 . The obtained nanofibers possess strong antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) by residual lignin and rosin. Furthermore, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of E. coli and S. aureus was as low as 1.5 and 2 mg mL −1 , respectively. More surprisingly, benefiting from the residual lignin and rosin, P-CNFs could be well dispersed in ethanol. P-CNF/ethanol suspension could be regarded as a disinfectant with long residual action, which could resist the secondary infection of bacteria. The green preparation and excellent properties of P-CNFs made them viable candidates as environmentally friendly antibacterial materials. This work provided a new idea for preparing functional natural, sustainable nanomaterials.