Applications of Chitosan Fibers

Abstract

Chitosan fibers were used to load silver particles by adding sodium hydrogen zirconium phosphate into the spinning solution [07Qin]. The silver particles were reported to be uniformly divided in the fibers and did not affect the color of the fibers. SEM image in Fig. 26.1 shows the presence of the nanoparticles on the surface of the fibers. Silver ions were released when the fibers were placed in water or aqueous protein solution. Incorporation of silver significantly increased the antibacterial activity of the fibers with greater than 98 % reduction for common bacteria. The ability of chitosan fibers to absorb silver and zinc ions that are delivered through wound dressings was investigated [06Qin]. Chitosan fibers were treated with silver nitrate and zinc chloride solutions, and the release of these ions in saline was studied. It was found that the silver-containing fibers had good antimicrobial properties, whereas the zinc-containing fibers could be used to deliver zinc ions for wound care applications. Figure 26.2 shows that the chitosan- and silver-containing fibers had a clear Escherichia coli inhibition compared to the viscose fiber-containing solution suggesting that the chitosan fibers inhibited bacterial growth.