Radiation syntheses of modified poly (lactic acid) fabrics with hydrophilic and antibacterial properties

In this research, the antimicrobial agent (sliver nanoparticles) (AgNPs) and bio-based poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) were introduced on the poly (lactic acid) (PLA) fabrics by γ-ray induced simultaneous grafting and reduction. The morphology and the AgNPs distribution of the modified PLA fabrics were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The interaction of PLA fabrics, AgNPs and PVP was tested by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was indicated that AgNPs were coordinated with oxygen and nitrogen atoms of pyrrole rings, which was facilitated to be anchored firmly on PLA fabrics. The mechanical, hydrophilic and antibacterial properties of the modified PLA fabrics were also investigated. The modified PLA fabric (PLA-g-PVP-Ag-2) shown the similar mechanical strength to that of pure PLA. Besides, with the lower loadings of AgNPs, PLA-g-PVP-Ag-2 exhibited greatly enhanced hydrophilicity and antibacterial performance. The water wetting time was 19.3 s (the original PLA fabric was >90 s) and the antibacterial rate against S. aureus was >99 %.