Durable Antibacterial Cotton Fabrics Based on Natural Borneol-Derived Anti-MRSA Agents

Borneol, a natural extract with unique bicyclic monoterpene structure, has attracted increasing attention due to its broad-spectrum antibacterial properties via membrane disruption mechanism. However, the negligible water solubility of borneol limits its antibacterial efficiency. Herein, borneol-based water-soluble antibacterial agents are designed and synthesized to combat multi-drug resistant bacteria. The integration of borneol with hydrophilic poly(N,N-dimethylethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) polymer chains boosts the antibacterial capability of borneol against Gram-negative, Gram-positive, and even multi-drug resistant bacteria. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are completely killed upon treatment with 50 µg mL^-1 of borneol-based polymers and Escherichia coli are annihilated at 39 µg mL^-1 . It is further demonstrated that the borneol-based antibacterial agents can be grafted onto cotton fabrics as a nonleaching antibacterial agent, which have higher sustained antibacterial activity than cotton fabrics coated with the commercial quaternary ammonium finishing agents (AEM 5700). The functionalized fabrics with excellent bactericidal activity, especially against MRSA, may have great potential applications in managing hospital-acquired infections.