N-Halamine-based antibacterial materials play a significant role in controlling microbial contamination, but their practical applications are limited because of their complicated synthetic process and indistinct antibacterial actions. In this study, novel antibacterial N-halamine-containing polymer fibers were synthesized via an one-step electrospinning of N-halamine-containing polymers without any additives. By adjusting the concentration of precursor and the molecular weight of polymers, the morphology and size of the as-spun N-halamine-containing fibers can be regulated. The as-spun fibers showed antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. After an antibacterial assessment using different biochemical techniques, a combined mechanism of contact/release co-determined killing action was evidenced for the as-spun N-halamine-containing fibers. With the aid of contact action and/or release action, this combined mechanism can allow N-halamines to attack bacteria, making the as-spun fibers wide in the application of antibacterial fields, whatever it is in dry or wet environment. Also, a recycle antibacterial test demonstrated that the as-spun fibers can still offer antibacterial property after five recycle experiments.

N-Halamine compounds have attracted great attention because they are recognized as promising antibacterial agents to control microbial contamination; however, most of the research interests were focused on N-halamines that contain N–Cl bond(s) rather than N–Br bond(s). In this contribution, we report the facile fabrication of N–Br bond-containing N-halamine nanofibers using the electrospinning method for antibacterial usages. The as-produced N–Br bond-containing N-halamine nanofibers (i.e., DBDMH/PAN nanofibers) comprise an antibacterial component of 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DBDMH) and a support component of polyacrylonitrile (PAN). When systematic characterizations were carried out, the as-obtained DBDMH/PAN nanofibers were proven to exhibit well-defined fiber-like morphology and be highly efficient in the killing of the selected model bacteria (Escherichia coli). Their morphology and size could be well governed by tuning the concentration of electrospinning precursor and the mass ratio of PAN to DBDMH. The antibacterial mechanism of the DBDMH/PAN nanofibers and their stabilities under dry, wet, and bacterial conditions were confirmed as well. Facile synthesis and antibacterial activity allow the feasibility of the final N–Br bond-containing N-halamine nanofibers for antibacterial-related clinical applications in practice. Our work highlights the development of the N–Br bond-containing N-halamine nanofibers as promising antibacterial agents for biomedical applications.