ABSTRACT
Cellulose is considered the polysaccharide with the greatest natural abundance. This is because it is present in the composition of plant cell walls, being traditionally extracted from various vegetables. However, this material can also be synthesized from microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria. In this context, bacterial cellulose (BC) can be synthesized by different types of bacteria, which are capable of using different sources of carbon and nitrogen as a culture medium, making it an alternative of great economic interest to expand its areas of application. Therefore, BC has stood out as a biopolymer structurally formed by three-dimensional nanofiber networks, with high mechanical and thermal stability, and high water absorption capacity and purity. Thus, due to the aforementioned properties, BC is considered a material with great potential for application and added value, being widely used in the industrial biotechnology and biomedical sectors. Currently, its use has been investigated in the preparation of wound dressings, as device for controlled release of drugs, in bioactive packaging, and in the regeneration of bone tissue. In addition, BC can be considered an ideal hydrophilic matrix for the incorporation of inorganic and metallic nanoparticles, obtaining nanocomposites (NC) that have synergism between the characteristics of the two materials used. In view of these aspects, these NCs appear as an alternative for use as catalysts for the treatment of aquatic matrices containing persistent pollutants via advanced oxidation and adsorptive processes. The use of these materials may replace other catalysts that have been widely studied, such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.
