Research on fabrication and property of antibacterial Qu/COS/PVA nanofiber membranes

In this study, the Qu/COS/PVA composite nanofiber membranes with excellent antibacterial properties were fabricated by adding quercetin (Qu) on chitosan oligosaccharides/poly (vinyl alcohol) (COS/PVA) nanofiber through electrospinning technology. The effects of the Qu and COS content on solution conductivity, viscosity and surface tension were investigated. The scanning electron microscopy was utilized to observe the morphology and the diameter distribution of the fibers. And the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to study the combination among Qu, COS and PVA. The differential scanning calorimetry was conducted to analyze the thermal stability. The results show that the conductivity increased with COS and Qu content increasing, leading to thinner fibers. The Hydrogen bond was formed among the carbonyl groups of Qu and PVA, and the hydroxyl groups of COS. The electrospun Qu/COS/PVA nanofiber membranes had good thermal stability. The antibacterial test indicated that both COS and Qu had an antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli, and the Qu-loaded COS/PVA nanofiber membranes could significantly enhance the antibacterial property. The excellent antibacterial performance demonstrated that the Qu/COS/PVA nanofiber membranes could be the promising antibacterial materials.