Preparation and characterization of electrospun antimicrobial fibrous membranes based on polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)

Poly [5,5-dimethyl-3-(3'-triethoxysilylpropyl)hydantoin] (PSPH), an N-halamine precursor was synthesized and employed to prepare antimicrobial biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) fibrous membranes by using an electrospinning technique. After exposure to chlorine bleach, the fibrous membranes could be rendered biocidal. The membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), thermogravimetry (TG), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The tensile strength, wetting property, UV light stability, and controlled release behavior were investigated. Biocidal efficacies of the chlorinated fibrous membranes against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli O157:H7 were evaluated by a modified AATCC Test Method 100-2004. The results showed that the prepared chlorinated membranes have excellent antimicrobial functions which could inactivate 92.10 % S. aureus and 85.04 % E. coli O157: H7 within 30 min of contact time, respectively. From this study, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-based antimicrobial fibrous membranes may further expand the potential use as ecofriendly materials in a variety of applications such as food packaging and biomedical areas.