Cross-Linking of Centrifugally Spun Starch/Polyvinyl Alcohol (ST/PVA) Composite Ultrafine Fibers and Antibacterial Activity Loaded with Ag Nanoparticles
Xianglong Li, Yongna Zhang, Weicai Kong, Jing Zhou, Teng Hou, Xianggui Zhang, Lele Zhou, Mingbo Sun, Shu Liu, Bin Yang
Abstract
In this research, centrifugally spun ultrafine composite starch/polyvinyl alcohol (ST/PVA) fibers with high water stability were prepared by cross-linking with a mixture of glutaraldehyde and formic acid in the form of vapor phase. The effect of cross-linking temperature combined with time on the water stability, crystal structure, and thermal properties of fibers was investigated to obtain the optimum parameters. On this basis, we further prepared Ag-loaded ST/PVA fibers with different contents of nano silver. The structure and properties of Ag-loaded fibers, which cross-linked under the optimum parameters, were analyzed. As a result, the Ag-loaded fibers exhibited excellent water stability and mechanical properties and possessed inhibition zone diameters of 3 and 2 mm to Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus. aureus, respectively. The antibacterial property of the Ag-loaded ST/PVA fibers provided a new route for developing less costly antibacterial fiber materials in the future.