The most common way to produce cellulosic materials with antibacterial properties is to incorporate an antibacterial agent into the materials that is designed to slowly leach and inhibit bacterial growth in the surrounding media. This method however is associated with both environmental problems, due to toxicity of antibacterial agents to water living organisms, and an increased risk of development of resistant bacteria. It is however possible to make non-leaching contact active antibacterial cellulosic materials using environmentally friendly methods.<br/>The charged surface of cellulose makes material made from cellulose easily modified by adsorbing polyelectrolytes according the layer-by-layer procedure. By adsorbing the polyelectrolytes in a way that the surface consists of a highly charged cationic polymer, such as polyvinyl amine, it is possible to produce materials with antibacterial functionality. The adsorption of polyelectrolytes on cellulosic materials is done completely in aqueous solutions at room temperature using non-toxic chemicals making it an environmentally benign procedure. The polyelectrolytes are irreversibly adsorbed on the surface limiting the spread of potentially harmful compounds. Bacteria are inactivated by a contact active mechanism where the bacteria strongly adhere to the surface of the cellulosic material.<br/>Cellulose is an excellent material for making environmentally friendly antibacterial materials due to the inherent properties of cellulose which are preserved. The described procedure has been used to modify a wide range of cellulosic materials ranging from nanocellulose barrier films to water filtration materials made from pulp fibers. This paper will cover an overview of the activities within this area and demonstrate some of the endless possibilities of using environmentally friendly contact-active antibacterial materials made from cellulose.

Layer-by-layer modification of cellulosic materials for green antibacterial materials

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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