Abstract
The development of innovative technologies to modify natural textiles holds an important impact for medical applications, including the prevention of contamination with microorganisms, particularly in the hospital environment. In our study, Fe and N co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles have been obtained via the hydrothermal route, at moderate temperature, followed by short thermal annealing at 400 °C. These particles were used to impregnate polyester (PES) materials which have been evaluated for their morphology, photocatalytic performance, antimicrobial activity against bacterial reference strains, and in vitro biocompatibility on human skin fibroblasts. Microscopic examination and quantitative assays have been used to evaluate the cellular morphology and viability, cell membrane integrity, and inflammatory response. All treated PES materials specifically inhibited the growth of Gram-negative bacilli strains after 15 min of contact, being particularly active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PES fabrics treated with photocatalysts did not affect cell membrane integrity nor induce inflammatory processes, proving good biocompatibility. These results demonstrate that the treatment of PES materials with TiO2-1% Fe–N particles could provide novel biocompatible fabrics with short term protection against microbial colonization, demonstrating their potential for the development of innovative textiles that could be used in biomedical applications for preventing patients’ accidental contamination with microorganisms from the hospital environment.
Highlights
Over the past decade, the emergence and spread of an increasing number of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms has become a serious worldwide concern [1,2]
We characterized novel cotton fabrics coated with dispersions of nanoscaled TiO2-1% Fe–N particles prepared by the hydrothermal method which exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus [28]
All treated fabrics described within this study inhibited the growth of Gram-negative, non-fermentative bacilli strains after 15 min of contact. These results demonstrated that the treated fabrics could decrease the risk of exogenous accidental contamination with P. aeruginosa in case of medical maneuvers with short duration, involving textiles, like changing dressings or wound washing
Summary
The emergence and spread of an increasing number of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms has become a serious worldwide concern [1,2]. The photocatalytic process has been extensively studied using titanium dioxide (TiO2), an ideal material in terms of chemical properties and economical aspect, but having the major disadvantage of radiation’s absorption only in the ultraviolet region [5]. For this reason, TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) were doped with other metals (Ag, Cu, Fe, Zn, Zr) [6], non-metals (C, N), combinations of metals and non-metals, or metals and rare earth elements [7] to extend the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 in visible light, thereby, to obtain increased efficiency of pollution agents’ degradation, including pathogens [8,9]. These fabrics with enhanced functionalities are of great interest for medical environments, textile and food industries due to their ability to inhibit the formation of pathogen biofilms, stop the spread of nosocomial infections, and remove the infection sources [29]
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