Antibacterial and adsorptive multifunctional cellulosic fibers based on soy protein isolate

Functional fibers with efficient adsorption performance and antibacterial activity are in high market demand. Conventional cellulose-based materials have inherent drawbacks such as easy leaching of active components and poor interfacial compatibility, leading to drastic performance degradation after washing and severely hindering their practical application. To address these issues, this study proposes a novel strategy: first, alkalized soy protein isolate (AIK-SPI) is prepared by alkalization modification of soy protein isolate (SPI); subsequently, AIK-SPI is composited with polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB) to construct AIK-SPI-PHMB composite material. This composite material exhibits excellent adsorption performance, with a maximum ammonia adsorption capacity of 800 μg/g. After 50 simulated washing cycles, the fiber still retains more than 75% of its initial adsorption capacity and over 65% of its initial antibacterial activity (with antibacterial rates exceeding 74% and 65% against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively), successfully breaking through the bottleneck of insufficient functional durability. Featuring green and biodegradable properties as well as the integration of antibacterial and adsorption multifunctions, this material provides a novel approach for the development of high-performance and durable adsorptive-antibacterial dual-functional materials. It has potential application prospects in water purification and medical-related textile scenarios, but comprehensive ecotoxicity and cytocompatibility assessments must be completed before practical promotion.