Electrospun PU/MgO/Ag Nanofibers for Antibacterial Activity and Flame Retardency

Abstract

Antibacterial activity and fire retardation are equally desired for protective clothing. For achieving this, AgNP and MgO are independently researched as nanofillers in Polyurethane based electrospun nanofibers and their synergistic effect is scarcely addressed. This article reports synthesis and characterization of MgO of 70.01 nm and AgNP of 51 to 76 nm by solution combustion and hydrothermal routes respectively and their incorporation in electrospinning of Polyurethane. Flow rate 1 ml/hr, applied voltage 13 kV, tip to collector distance 15 cm were adopted for the electrospinning. Nanofibers of 65 nm were obtained for PU/MgO (3 wt. %) and 106 nm for PU/MgO (3 wt. %)/Ag (1 wt. %). Addition of MgO increased the melting point, after flame time and afterglow time. Incorporation of AgNP improved antibacterial activity. PU/MgO/Ag (2 wt. %) exhibited zone of inhibition of 2.1 cm and 3 cm against E. Coli and S. Aureus, respectively.

Electrospun nanofibers synthesis enhancing the activity of energy storage devices/electrochemical and biosensor applications

“…The most widely recognized disappointment shows up during stage II clinical preliminaries, where most medication applicants show already obscure harmful aftereffects or lacking adequacy to treat the ailment being tried [177]. In any case, drugs arriving at the market are not liberated from imaginable secondary effects; for instance, because of their characteristic harmfulness anticancer chemotherapeutics stay a worry for the two specialists and patients [178].…”

Use of Electrospinning for Sustainable Production of Nanofibers: A Comparative Assessment of Smart Textiles-Related Applications

“…Textiles with thermal properties, like flame retardancy and thermal regulation, are attracting extensive attention and are applied not only in personal protection items when working in environments with high heat radiation, such as firefighting, the military, and industrial protective clothing, but also in the civilian market. Thermal regulation textiles can adjust the microclimate near human skin and provide comfort under a thermal environment, while fire-retardant textiles with a limiting oxygen index value greater than the environment oxygen concentration (21%) can burn at a slower rate, thus offering safety to wearers [ 38 , 111 , 112 ]. The growing attention paid towards the development of polymer materials that are used in heat-resistant and flame-retardant textiles is evident, and a huge effort has been undertaken to synthesize new textiles with improved properties [ 111 ].…”

“…Finally, flame-resistant and fire-retardant fabrics for applications mainly in protective military, firefighting, and industrial clothing have become a major social concern, and electrospinning has recently been undertaken when designing this type of textiles using biodegradable polymers [ 38 , 111 ]. Specifically, Mamtha et al (2023) encapsulated MgO and Ag NPs in PU and investigated their effect on the flame retardancy of the produced polymers.…”

“…This was due to the fact that, in general, GO generates reactive oxygen species and leads to bacterial cell death [34]. Furthermore, Mamtha et al (2023) used Ag NPs combined with Magnesium oxide (MgO) and achieved a remarkable diameter of inhibition zone equal to 21 mm and 30 mm for E. coli and S. aureus, respectively [38].…”

“…PU:MgO electrospun fibers had the best flame-retardant characteristics (26.51 s after-flame time and 7.67 s after-glow time), since Mg + ions acted as catalysts in crosslinking and dehydration reactions, affecting the char formation, and MgO had the ability to block the melt dripping and flame growth. This sample belonged to the V1 category, which means that the flame extinguished within 30 s with no dripping [38]. Furthermore, Hao et al (2023) tested the flame retardance properties of PLA fabrics co-electrospun with DiDOPO, a derivative of 6H-dibenz(C,E) (1,2)oxaphosphorin-6-oxide), in order to enhance the poor flame retardation of pure PLA.…”