Fabrication of antimicrobial viscose fibers containing silver nanoparticle@catechol formaldehyde resin microspheres.

Catechol formaldehyde resin microspheres with surface-distributed silver nanoparticles (Ag@CFR microspheres) were synthesized and then used as functional additives to fabricate antimicrobial viscose fibers (Ag@CFR/viscose fibers) through the wet spinning method. Ag@CFR microspheres showed high broad-spectrum antibacterial properties and presented low cytotoxicity on mammalian cells. With 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 wt% additions of Ag@CFR microspheres in the viscose solution, all the viscose spinning solutions exhibited a little change in the viscosity and showed long-term stability without any sedimentation of the particles. With only 0.5 wt% additions of Ag@CFR microspheres, Ag@CFR/viscose fibers achieved high antimicrobial activities and severally presented a bacteriostasis and fungistatic rate of 99.6%, 99.4%, and 92.7% against E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans. Ag@CFR microspheres had very little influence on the mechanical and moisture absorption performance of the fiber. This work can provide an approach for the large-scale production of antibacterial viscose fibers and widen the application of Ag NPs in high-quality functional regenerated cellulose fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]