Abstract
Native bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) exhibits limited functional versatility, notably the absence of intrinsic magnetic responsiveness. This property can be imparted through the incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), which enable the development of magnetically active BNC composites with enhanced physicochemical and application-specific characteristics. The resulting nanocomposites combine the intrinsic biocompatibility and structural integrity of BNC with the functional advantages of magnetic materials, expanding their applicability in biomedical and technological fields. Magnetic bacterial nanocellulose beads (MBNC) were synthesized using two different approaches: an in situ method, where MNPs were generated directly within pre-formed BNC beads, and an agitated fermentation-based method, in which pre-synthesized MNPs were incorporated into the culture medium during BNC production by Komagataeibacter xylinus. The influence of cultivation and synthesis parameters, such as shaking speed, incubation time, and nanoparticle concentration, on the morphological, magnetic, and physicochemical characteristics of the resulting MBNC was systematically investigated. Magnetic property measurements revealed that in situ synthesized MBNC with a smaller bead diameter exhibited better magnetic responsiveness. The most magnetic properties of MBNC, obtained via the agitated fermentation-synthesis method, were observed in beads synthesized at a shaking speed of 140 rpm with the addition of 0.5 g of MNPs to the medium. The obtained results provide valuable insights into optimizing synthesis conditions for scalable production of magnetically functionalized bacterial nanocellulose, highlighting its potential use in biomedical engineering, environmental remediation, and smart material design.
