Ahmed H. Abdel‐Salam, Ashraf Morsy
ABSTRACT Cellulose acetate (CA) membranes were modified with a green‐synthesized hybrid nanomaterial composed of chitosan nanoparticles (CSNP) and silver nanoparticles (AgNP) at loadings of 5, 15, 20, and 25 μL. The incorporation of CSNP‐AgNP led to noticeable morphological changes, including a denser cross‐section, a relatively rougher surface morphology was observed based on SEM images, and improved thermal stability. The membrane containing 20 μL of the hybrid nanomaterial exhibited the highest tensile strength. Contact‐angle measurements confirmed enhanced surface hydrophilicity. Antibacterial tests showed a marked reduction in colony formation, with complete inhibition at the highest nanoparticle loading. Heavy‐metal filtration experiments demonstrated significant improvement in Mn 2+ , Fe 2+ , and Pb 2+ rejection, exceeding 95% for the optimal membrane. These results indicate that CSNP‐AgNP incorporation provides an effective and simple strategy for producing multifunctional CA membranes with enhanced mechanical, antibacterial, and separation performance, suitable for advanced water purification applications. This concise abstract highlights key findings and emphasizes the practical potential of the modified membranes.