Electrospun sesbania gum-based polymeric N-halamines for antibacterial applications

Abstract

Microorganism pollution induced by pathogens has become a serious concern in recent years. In response, research on antibacterial N-halamines has made impressive progress in developing ways to combat this pollution. While synthetic polymer-based N-halamines have been widely developed and in some cases even commercialized, N-halamines based on naturally occurring polymers remain underexplored. In this contribution, we report for the first time on a strategy for developing sesbania gum (SG)-based polymeric N-halamines by a four-step approach Using SG as the initial polymer, we obtained SG-based polymeric N-halamines (abbreviated as cSG-PAN nanofibers) via a step-by-step controllable synthesis process. With the assistance of advanced techniques, the as-synthesized cSG-PAN nanofibers were systematically characterized in terms of their chemical composition and morphology. In a series of antibacterial and cytotoxicity evaluations, the as-obtained cSG-PAN nanofibers displayed good antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as low cytotoxicity towards A549 cells. We believe this study offers a guide for developing naturally occurring polymer-based antibacterial N-halamines that have great potential for antibacterial applications.