Multifunctional Macrofibers via Wet Spinning: Integrating Antibacterial, Flame-Retardant, and UV Shielding Properties...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Textile Science

Background:

• Developing functionalized filaments via wet spinning of nanocellulose in aqueous systems is challenging.
• Bacterial cellulose and sodium alginate are sustainable biopolymers with potential for high-performance materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sustainable wet-spinning approach for producing high-performance macrofibers.
• To create functionalized filaments with antibacterial, flame-retardant, and UV-protective properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose nanofibers (TOBCN), sodium alginate (Alg), and metal-phenolic networks (MPNs).
• Employed Fe3+-mediated cross-linking within MPNs and Ca2+-induced ionic bonding with TOBCN.
• Optimized the Alg/TAFe1-TOBC2 fiber composition and processing.

Main Results:

• The optimized fiber exhibited photothermal antibacterial efficacy over 99% against E. coli and S. aureus.
• Demonstrated superior flame retardancy, with 61.05% lower heat release than cotton.
• Achieved excellent UV protection (UPF > 100), exceeding standard textile requirements.

Conclusions:

• The developed wet-spinning method yields high-performance, multifunctional macrofibers from sustainable biomass.
• These biocompatible and environmentally compatible macrofibers show significant promise for protective textiles.