Preliminary Studies on Antimicrobial Properties for Nanofiber Air Filters

The purpose of this study was to investigate a potential antimicrobial activity of biodegradable cellulose acetate (CA)/ cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB) nanofiber filters produced by electrospinning technique. Samples of these nanofibers were produced over a nonwoven substrate, using a polymeric solution in the electrospinning process. Wettability tests were performed by measuring the contact angle of droplets of water deposited on their surface. The evaluation of the antibacterial properties of the nanofibers was performed for Escherichia coli using quantitative methods. Regarding the contact angle measurement, it presented about 63o, showing that this material can be wetted by water. The antibacterial test results showed that the use of the surfactant provides antibacterial properties to the CA/CPB nanofibers, presenting 100% reduction for bacteria. Further studies are necessary, however, these preliminary results showed that, based on these features, the nanofibers could be applied as a filter media for indoor air conditioning systems, mainly due to their biocidal properties.