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Nano-copper ions assembled cellulose-based composite with antibacterial activity for biodegradable personal protective mask

Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering 2023 6 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 50 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Xinyi Shao, Jian Wang, Jian Wang, Zetan Liu, Na Hu, Ruimin Zhang, Cailin Quan, Xinjie Yao, Cuihua Dong

Summary

Researchers developed an antibacterial face mask using cotton fabric modified with nano-copper ions via electrostatic adsorption, achieving 96% particle filtration efficiency, 100% antibacterial activity, and sustained antiviral performance after 50 wash cycles, offering a biodegradable alternative to single-use synthetic masks.

The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has resulted in the widespread use of personal protective equipment, particularly face masks. However, the use of commercial disposable face masks puts great pressure on the environment. In this study, nano-copper ions assembled cotton fabric used in face masks to impart antibacterial activity has been discussed. To produce the nanocomposite, the cotton fabric was modified by sodium chloroacetate after its mercerization, and assembled with bactericidal nano-copper ions (about 10.61 mg·g) through electrostatic adsorption. It demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity against and because the gaps between fibers in the cotton fabric allow the nano-copper ions to be fully released. Moreover, the antibacterial efficiency was maintained even after 50 washing cycles. Furthermore, the face mask constructed with this novel nanocomposite upper layer exhibited a high particle filtration efficiency (96.08% ± 0.91%) without compromising the air permeability (28.9 min·L). This green, economical, facile, and scalable process of depositing nano-copper ions onto modified cotton fibric has great potential to reduce disease transmission, resource consumption, and environmental impact of waste, while also expanding the range of protective fabrics.

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