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A one-step method for generating antimicrobial nanofibre meshes via coaxial electrospinning
Fangyuan Zhang1, Amy I Jacobs2, Maximillian Woodall2
1UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London 29-39 Brunswick Square London WC1N 1AX UK k.dziemidowicz@ucl.ac.uk g.williams@ucl.ac.uk.
Materials Advances
|July 3, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed a low-cost, one-step method for antimicrobial nanofibre meshes. This new material, coated with cetrimonium bromide (CTAB), shows high efficacy against bacteria and viruses like SARS-CoV-2, offering potential for protective facemasks.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Infectious Disease Control
Background:
- Respiratory diseases pose a significant global health burden, exacerbated by pandemics like COVID-19.
- Effective protective gear, such as facemasks, requires affordable and efficient antimicrobial materials.
- Existing electrospinning methods for antimicrobial meshes are often complex, costly, and inefficient in agent distribution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a low-cost, efficient one-step method for producing antimicrobial nanofibre meshes.
- To create protective materials with surface-bound antimicrobial agents for enhanced efficacy.
- To evaluate the antibacterial and antiviral properties of the novel nanofibre mesh against key respiratory pathogens.
Main Methods:
- Coaxial electrospinning of polycaprolactone (PCL) fibres with cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) directly onto the fibre surface.
- Characterization of nanofibre mesh properties, including fibre diameter, pore size, and coating efficiency.
- Assessment of antibacterial activity against *Staphylococcus aureus* and *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*.
- Evaluation of antiviral activity against respiratory syncytial virus and SARS-CoV-2.
Main Results:
- The CTAB-coated PCL nanofibre meshes exhibited finer fibres (∼300 nm) and smaller pore sizes (∼300 nm) compared to non-coated fibres.
- Achieved >90% coating efficiency with a burst release of CTAB upon aqueous contact.
- Demonstrated potent antibacterial activity (>96.5% efficacy) and high antiviral efficacy (>99.9%) against tested pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2.
Conclusions:
- The developed one-step coaxial electrospinning method efficiently produces antimicrobial nanofibre meshes with surface-bound CTAB.
- The CTAB-coated nanofibre material demonstrates significant antibacterial and broad-spectrum antiviral activity.
- This technology holds great potential for creating advanced facemask materials to combat bacterial and viral respiratory infections.
