ARS | Publication request: Durable antibacterial Ag/polyacrylonitrile (Ag/PAN) hybrid nanofibers prepared by atmospheric plasma treatment and electrospinning

Submitted to: European Polymer Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: April 7, 2011
Publication Date: July 1, 2011
Repository URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10113/49957
Citation: Shi, Q., Vitchuli, N., Nowak, J., Caldwell, J.M., Breidt, F., Bourham, M., Zhang, X., Mccord, M. 2011. Durable antibacterial Ag/polyacrylonitrile (Ag/PAN) hybrid nanofibers prepared by atmospheric plasma treatment and electrospinning. European Polymer Journal. 47(7):1402-10409.

Interpretive Summary: The purpose of this research was to develop antimicrobial fabrics that kill bacteria on contact. Researchers studying methods for preparing these fabrics needed to determine the ability of fabrics prepared using plasma treatments to kill bacteria on contact. The fabrics were prepared using novel methods, using plasma physics to assist in the binding of the antimicrobial compounds to the fabrics. In a collaborative effort, we tested the fabrics with two different kinds of disease causing bacteria common in environmental contamination. The results showed that the antimicrobial treatments were effective in killing the bacteria. Further studies need to be done to determine if the processes are useful and effective on a large scale.

Technical Abstract: Durable antibacterial Ag/polyacrylonitrile (Ag/PAN) hybrid nanofibers were prepared by atmospheric plasma treatment and electrospinning. Atmospheric helium plasma treatment was first used to reduce the silver nitrate precursor in pre-electrospinning solutions into metallic silver nanoparticles, followed by electrospinning into continuous and smooth nanofibers with Ag nanoparticles embedded in the matrix. SEM, TEM, and EDX spectra were used to study the structure and surface elemental composition of the nanofibers. Silver nanoparticles, with diameters ranging between 3 and 6 nm, were found to be uniformly dispersed in the nanofiber matrix. The Ag/PAN nanofibers exhibited slow and long-lasting silver ion release, which provided robust antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive B. cereus and Gram-negative E. coli microorganisms.