Superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic textiles for rapid contact-killing of airborne bacteria

Abstract

In this study, three kinds of new antibacterial materials with different functions were developed to solve the problem of contact killing of bacteria in air aerosols, and their properties and application potential were systematically studied. Firstly, the superhydrophilic nanofiber layer modified with silver nanoparticles enables the rapid capture and effective killing of bacteria in bioaerosols by efficiently capturing airborne bacteria and releasing silver ions. This kind of superhydrophilic fiber material combines breathability and antibacterial properties, capable of significantly reducing the survival rate of the bacteria in a short time. Secondly, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was modified on the surface of zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) to construct superhydrophilic nanostructures. This strategy utilizes capillary condensation and liquid bridge stretching effect to produce strong and controllable mechanical stress under moderate humidity conditions, directly destroying bacterial cell membranes, and achieving the purpose of efficient contact killing. Thirdly, by introducing polycation (PCa), the nanorod surface transforms from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic, and produces extremely high charge density in the microregion. This local charge enrichment can not only strengthen the binding of bacteria to the surface, but also use hydrophobic chain segments to disturb the cell membrane structure, and finally achieve rapid and complete bacterial killing in 3 minutes. This study applied antibacterial materials to polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and nylon textiles, which greatly improved their antibacterial property. After long-term testing, the modified textile has continued to achieve zero bacterial survival in several weeks, providing strong support for practical applications such as medical protective clothing, masks, and air filters. The above results reflect the organic integration of air aerosols, antibacterial materials, textiles and contact sterilization technology, opening a new path for the development of efficient, green and sustainable antibacterial protection products, and provide an important reference for addressing public health challenges and improving biosecurity.