Nonhazardous Electrospun Biopolymer Nanofibrous Membrane for Antibacterial Filter.

Respiratory disease caused by the presence of bacteria in the atmosphere seriously threatens human health. Air pollution as harmful suspended particles, like haze, is conducive to bacterial spread and growth; it must be prevented to avoid harming the respiratory tract. Herein, filtration membranes possessing superior antibacterial activity are considered as an effective means to protect humans from atmospheres contaminated with bacteria. The aim of this study is to prepare an environmentally friendly and biodegradable multifunctional biopolymer composite nanofibrous membrane, which can be used as a candidate material for air filtration applications. Since traditional air filtration materials do not degrade in the natural environment, we synthesized a nanofibrous membrane composed of gelatin (GT) and silk fibroin (SF), in which antibacterial agent can anchor via electrostatic spinning. Also, both GT and SF can break down in the natural environment, which avoids secondary pollution of the atmosphere. Preliminary experiments show that GS nanofibrous membranes are excellent carriers of antibacterial agent for antibacterial applications. Several characterizations and testing measurements indicate that resultant nanofibrous membranes are effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, a water vapor transmission rate test shows the excellent filtration performance of the materials. The Ag nanoparticle-embedded filtration membrane with antibacterial properties was synthesized by electrospinning method to combat respiratory diseases caused by bacteria suspended in air pollution. The nanofibrous membrane was made up of gelatin and silk fibroin and was biodegradable. As an antibacterial agent, silver could avoid drug resistance and subsequent testing showed that these membranes had excellent antibacterial properties against both S. aureus and E. coli, as well as good air permeability and were suitable for filtration applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]