Preparation of immobilized ɛ-polylysine PET nonwoven fabrics and antibacterial activity evaluation

A novel antibacterial material (L-PET) was prepared by immobilizing ɛ-polylysine on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nonwoven fabrics. Surface modifications of the fabric were performed by using a chemical modification procedure where carboxyl groups were prepared on the PET surface, a coupling agent was grafted, and the ɛ-polylysine was immobilized. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the surface morphology of the fabrics, while the toluidine blue method and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to evaluate the grafting densities. The antibacterial activities of the L-PET were investigated by using the shaking-flask method. The electron micrographs showed that the surface of the blank PET and the modified fabrics did not change. The results of XPS analysis confirmed that ɛ-polylysine was successfully grafted onto the surface of PET. The results of the antibacterial experiments showed that L-PET fabrics had excellent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and that L-PET fabrics were stable in storage for at least two years.