Improving the Water-Repellent and Antifungal Properties of Electrospun Cellulose Acetate Materials by Decoration with ZnO Nanoparticles

Suitable conditions for the preparation of nano- and microstructured materials from cellulose acetate and cellulose acetate/ZnO from solutions/suspensions in aceton/water by electrospinning/electrospraying were found. The materials obtained were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and contact angle measurements. The antifungal activity of the materials obtained against Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, which is one of the main species causing diseases in grapevines, was studied as well. It was found that electrospinning of CA solutions with a concentration of 10 wt% reproducibly resulted in the preparation of defect-free fibres with a mean fibre diameter of ~780 nm. The incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles resulted in the fabrication of hybrid materials with superhydrophobic properties (contact angle 152°). The materials decorated with ZnO possessed antifungal activity against P. chlamydospora. Thus, the fibrous materials of cellulose acetate decorated with ZnO particles obtained can be suitable candidates to find potential application in agriculture for plant protection.