Jie TangYuping ZhangXingfei LiuYichao LinLihua LiangXiaofang LiGregori CasalsXiangyu ZhouEudald CasalsMuling Zeng
Published in: Advanced healthcare materials (2024)
Despite considerable interest in medical and pharmaceutical fields, there remains a notable absence of functional textiles that concurrently exhibit antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Herein, we introduce a new composite fabric constructed using nanostructured bacterial cellulose covalently-linked with cerium oxide nanoparticles (BC@CeO 2 NPs). The synthesis of CeO 2 NPs on the BC is performed via a microwave-assisted, in-situ chemical deposition technique, resulting in the formation of mixed valence Ce 3+ /Ce 4+ CeO 2 NPs. This approach ensures the durability of the composite fabric subjected to multiple washing cycles. The ROS-scavenging activity of CeO 2 NPs and their rapid and efficient eradication of >99% model microbes, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus remain unaltered in the composite. To demonstrate the feasibility to incorporate the fabric in marketable products, we have fabricated antimicrobial face masks with filter layers made of BC@CeO 2 NPs cross-linked with propylene or cotton fibers. These masks exhibit complete inhibition of bacterial growth in the three bacterial strains, improved breathability compared to respirator masks and enhanced filtration efficiency compared to single-use surgical face masks. This study provides valuable insights into the development of functional BC@CeO 2 NPs biotextiles which design can be extended to the fabrication of medical dressings and cosmetic products with combined antibiotic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.