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Durable Antibacterial Polypropylene Nonwoven Fabrics via Facile Quaternary Ammonium Modification
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Scientists coated ordinary mask material with a germ-killing compound, creating a fabric that kills bacteria like E. coli and staph while still letting air through easily. Unlike regular disposable masks, this new material held onto its antibacterial power even after 20 washes, meaning masks could be reused instead of thrown away — good for your health and for cutting down on plastic waste.
ABSTRACT Infectious diseases caused by bacterial transmission pose a significant threat to public health and safety. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential for limiting disease transmission and protecting public health. Conventional polypropylene (PP) nonwoven filtration layers used in protective masks lack intrinsic antibacterial activity, which may lead to microbial accumulation during prolonged use, thereby posing potential health and safety risks, whereas frequent replacement of disposable masks contributes to plastic pollution. Therefore, reusable antibacterial mask materials have attracted increasing attention. In this study, an organosilane quaternary ammonium salt, DC‐5700, was spray‐coated onto PP nonwoven fabrics to fabricate quaternary ammonium‐functionalized polypropylene (QPP) nonwovens. The obtained QPP nonwovens exhibited effective antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus , while maintaining good thermal stability and mechanical properties. No obvious coating detachment was observed after repeated washing, and a certain degree of antibacterial activity was retained after 20 washing cycles, indicating acceptable washing durability. Moreover, the modified nonwovens showed favorable biocompatibility. While maintaining good air permeability and filtration efficiency, the QPP nonwovens exhibited antibacterial functionality with acceptable washing durability, highlighting their potential as reusable antibacterial filtration layers for protective masks.
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