Polyacrylonitrile nanofibers containing viroblock as promising material for protective clothing

Abstract

Antimicrobial viroblock/polyacrylonitrile nanofiber webs fabricated using the electro-spinning method were assessed in terms of the antimicrobial activity against infectious agents as a potential material used in mask production. Viroblock (VB) is an amalgam of lipid vesicle and silver. Lipid vesicle depletes the virus outer membrane, which contains cholesterol, while silver ions penetrate the virus, interact with sulfur-bearing moieties, and possess the virus bactericidal property. VB, having anti-coronavirus and anti-influenza properties, was prepared in four different concentrations, 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 1.5 wt%, and 2 wt%, in regard to nanofiber weight. The resultant nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), water contact angle, water content, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Moreover, all nanofibrous samples were evaluated for cell proliferation assay and ATCC antibacterial tests. Based on characterization results and cytotoxicity, the developed composite nanofibers-based webs showed good promise for utilization in anti-viral masks. Particularly, 2 wt% VB/PAN nanofibers have the highest antibacterial properties against negative and positive bacteria along with excellent cell viability.