Obtaining Medical Textiles Based on Viscose and Chitosan/Zinc Nanoparticles with Improved Antibacterial Properties by Using a Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Abstract

This study aimed to obtain functional viscose textiles based on chitosan coatings with improved antibacterial properties and washing durability. For that reason, before functionalization with chitosan/zinc nanoparticles (NCH+Zn), the viscose fabric was modified by nonthermal gas plasma of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) to introduce into its structure functional groups suitable for attachment of NCH+Zn. NCH+Zn were characterized by measurements of hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential and AFM. DBD-plasma-modified and NCH+Zn-functionalized fabrics were characterized by zeta potential measurements, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, the calcium acetate method (determination of content of carboxyl and aldehyde groups), SEM, breaking-strength measurements, elemental analysis, and ICP-OES. Their antibacterial activity was determined under dynamic contact conditions. In addition to SEM, the NCH+Zn distributions on viscose fabrics were also indirectly characterized by measuring their absorbent capacities before and after functionalization with NCH+Zn. Washing durability was monitored through changes in the zeta potential, chitosan and zinc content, and antibacterial activity after 1, 3, and 5 washing cycles. The obtained results showed that DBD plasma modification contributed to the simultaneous improvement of NCH+Zn sorption and antibacterial properties of the viscose fabric functionalized with NCH+Zn, and its washing durability, making it suitable for the production of high-value-added medical textiles.

Valorization of Bread Waste to Fungal-Based Products for Medical Textile and Food Applications

“…Viscose fibers are commonly used in wound dressings, while compounds such as chitosan have been incorporated in such materials to enhance the wound-healing properties. , The results of in vitro scratch assay with human dermal fibroblast cells demonstrated significant improvements in the RM and percentage of wound closure (Figure b) in both the monofilament and control groups compared to the viscose fiber group after 24 h of treatment ( P < 0.05). This suggests that the viscose fiber group experienced a delayed healing process during scratch assay, while the healing process in the monofilament group closely resembled that of the control group (shown in the 24-h period images, Figure S6).…”

Bioactive Materials Based on Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose and Silver Nanoparticles: Structural-Morphological Characterization and Antimicrobial Testing

“…In addition, microorganisms which contaminate the surfaces of medical devices in hospitals have led to development of antimicrobial surfaces based on polymers as a necessary tool to combat microbial infections and prevent the spread of microbial cells [ 1 ]. In this context, polymeric materials, due to their intrinsic properties, e.g., their hydrophilicity or molecular weight, have gained an increasing interest from both academic and industrial perspectives [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. This is because they can determine the final antimicrobial activity in terms of the biocide release rate, as a result of their synergistic activities [ 4 , 10 , 11 ].…”

“…In this regard, the improvement of the antimicrobial activity and the reduction in the toxicity will be ensured by the incorporation of the antimicrobial agent. Based on the various studies presented in the literature [ 8 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ], a small amount of active component, less than 5 wt.%, has been identified as conferring an efficiency to the whole system. In addition, the investigation of inexpensive systems through different approaches aimed at combating infections caused by microorganisms, will be pursued.…”