Enhanced antimicrobial property of polyurethane fibers bearing nanoparticles of polyacrylic acid-grafted oleyl amine and zwitterion

The antimicrobial performance of polyurethane (PU) fiber was significantly enhanced by integrating nanoparticles fabricated from polymers based on a zwitterion in polyacrylic acid grafted oleyl amine (PAA-g-OA). The PU fiber was fabricated by blending PU with colloidal nanoparticles, PAA-g-OA/zwitterion. Our findings showed a notable enhancement in antimicrobial properties of PU fibers bearing polymer NPs, increasing to 99.9% with the grafting of the zwitterion into PAA-g-OA even after a laundering process with a detergent. This improvement is primarily attributed to the bacteriostatic effect of the zwitterion, which enhances electrostatic attraction and hydration, because of the substantial difference in removing gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus) compared to gram-negative bacteria (E. coli).

Antibacterial polyurethane fibers bearing nanoparticles with surface zwitterions