Photocatalytic and Photoelectric Properties of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide and Cellulose Nanoparticles: Structural Insights and In Vivo Wound Healing Application

Aldaleeli, Nadiah Y.; Hamdalla, Taymour A.; Alghamdi, Saleh A.; Alfadhli, Shahd; Darwich, Nourhane A.; Khalil, Mahmoud I.; Aljohani, Meshari M.

doi:10.3390/catal16070592

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Photocatalytic and Photoelectric Properties of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide and Cellulose Nanoparticles: Structural Insights and In Vivo Wound Healing Application

by

Nadiah Y. Aldaleeli

¹

,

Taymour A. Hamdalla

^2,*

,

Saleh A. Alghamdi

²,

Shahd Alfadhli

²,

Nourhane A. Darwich

³

,

Mahmoud I. Khalil

^3,4

and

Meshari M. Aljohani

⁵

¹

Department of Physics, College of Science and Humanities-Jubail, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Jubail 35811, Saudi Arabia

²

Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 71491, Saudi Arabia

³

Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, P.O. Box 11-5020, Lebanon

⁴

Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21568, Egypt

⁵

Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 71491, Saudi Arabia

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Catalysts 2026, 16(7), 592; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16070592

Submission received: 17 April 2026 / Revised: 20 June 2026 / Accepted: 23 June 2026 / Published: 28 June 2026

(This article belongs to the Section Photocatalysis)

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Abstract

Nanoparticles have attracted considerable interest for biomedical and catalytic applications due to their unique functional properties. This study aims to evaluate the structural, optical, photoelectric, photocatalytic, and wound-healing performance of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and cellulose nanoparticles with complementary physicochemical characteristics. The nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, while photoelectric properties were assessed through current–voltage (I–V) measurements. Photocatalytic activity was evaluated using methylene blue degradation under solar irradiation, and in vivo wound healing was examined using a rat excisional model over 13 days. Cellulose nanoparticles exhibited nearly double the photocurrent compared to CTAB, indicating enhanced charge transport efficiency. Photocatalytic results showed that cellulose achieved approximately ~70% degradation within 210 s, compared to ~50% for CTAB. In vivo findings revealed that cellulose achieved 82% wound closure, compared with 71% for CTAB, 67% for Betadine, and 35% for untreated controls, accompanied by improved tissue regeneration. Overall, cellulose nanoparticles exhibited better photoelectrochemical, photocatalytic, and wound-healing properties, whereas CTAB provided structural integrity and antimicrobial properties. These materials are therefore promising multifunctional nanomaterials for catalytic and biological applications.

Keywords: nanoparticles; photocatalysis; cellulose nanoparticles; cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB); photoelectrical properties; methylene blue degradation; wound healing

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MDPI and ACS Style

Aldaleeli, N.Y.; Hamdalla, T.A.; Alghamdi, S.A.; Alfadhli, S.; Darwich, N.A.; Khalil, M.I.; Aljohani, M.M. Photocatalytic and Photoelectric Properties of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide and Cellulose Nanoparticles: Structural Insights and In Vivo Wound Healing Application. Catalysts 2026, 16, 592. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16070592

AMA Style

Aldaleeli NY, Hamdalla TA, Alghamdi SA, Alfadhli S, Darwich NA, Khalil MI, Aljohani MM. Photocatalytic and Photoelectric Properties of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide and Cellulose Nanoparticles: Structural Insights and In Vivo Wound Healing Application. Catalysts. 2026; 16(7):592. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16070592

Chicago/Turabian Style

Aldaleeli, Nadiah Y., Taymour A. Hamdalla, Saleh A. Alghamdi, Shahd Alfadhli, Nourhane A. Darwich, Mahmoud I. Khalil, and Meshari M. Aljohani. 2026. "Photocatalytic and Photoelectric Properties of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide and Cellulose Nanoparticles: Structural Insights and In Vivo Wound Healing Application" Catalysts 16, no. 7: 592. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16070592

APA Style

Aldaleeli, N. Y., Hamdalla, T. A., Alghamdi, S. A., Alfadhli, S., Darwich, N. A., Khalil, M. I., & Aljohani, M. M. (2026). Photocatalytic and Photoelectric Properties of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide and Cellulose Nanoparticles: Structural Insights and In Vivo Wound Healing Application. Catalysts, 16(7), 592. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16070592

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Photocatalytic and Photoelectric Properties of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide and Cellulose Nanoparticles: Structural Insights and In Vivo Wound Healing Application

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