Many anthraquinone compounds have exhibited light-active properties in solutions and on materials under UVA or fluorescent light exposure. Two anthraquinone derivatives were incorporated onto cotton fabrics by a vat dyeing process. The dyed fabrics demonstrated light-induced biocidal functions, and the functions were durable against laundering and long-term light exposure. The structures and surface morphologies of the dyed fabrics were examined by using fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mechanical properties of the fabrics were measured by using a tensile tester. The results revealed that the anthraquinone compounds have different light-activities, resulting in different surface and mechanical impacts on the cotton cellulose.

3,3',4,4'-Benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid (BPTCA) could directly react with hydroxyl groups on cellulose to form ester bonds. The modified cotton fabrics not only provided good wrinkle-free and ultraviolet (UV) protective functions, but also exhibited important photochemical properties such as producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) including hydroxyl radicals (HO(•)) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) under UV light exposure. The amounts of the produced hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide were measured, and photochemical reactive mechanism of the BPTCA treated cellulose was discussed. The results reveal that the fabrics possess good washing durability in generation of hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide. The cotton fabrics modified with different concentrations of BPTCA and cured at an elevated temperature demonstrated excellent antimicrobial activities, which provided 99.99% antibacterial activities against both E. coli and S. aureus. The advanced materials have potential applications in medical textiles and biological material fields.

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Gelatin (GE) nanofiber suspensions prepared by the extrusion of an immiscible polymer solution blend were cast into nanofibrous membranes. An organic chemical capable of generating radicals under photoexposure, anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid (AQS), was assembled layer by layer (LBL) onto the gelatin nanofiber membranes. The composite gelatin nanofibrous membranes assembled with AQS demonstrated excellent photoinduced antibacterial properties by killing bacteria. Scanning electron microscopy images demonstrated that the composite nanofibrous membranes maintained a well-defined nanofiber morphology and large specific surface area after LBL assembly. Moreover, the nanofiber morphology and nanofibrous structure of the composite nanofibrous membranes were completely reserved after photoexposure. An analysis of the cell indicated that the composite gelatin nanofibrous membranes assembled with AQS exhibited the same biocompatibility as the original gelatin nanofibers. These results demonstrate that AQS LBL-assembled gelatin nanofibrous membranes could be a potential candidate for wound dressing applications. V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 128: 970-975, 2013

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