Electrospinning Equipment for Research| Latest research progress on antibacterialproperties of chitosan-based nanofibers
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Author: Nanofiberlabs
Publish Time: 2025-06-11
Origin: Chitosan-based nanofibers
Professor Xiaoming Zhao & Senior Engineer Yuanjun Liu, Tianjin Polytechnic University: Latest Research Progress on Antibacterial Properties of Chitosan-based Nanofibers
Chitosan is widely available and has excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, antibacterial properties, high safety, and is environmentally friendly. Due to the presence of amino groups in chitosan, chitosan dissolved under acidic conditions is easily protonated into polyelectrolytes. During electrospinning, the repulsive force between polymer ionic groups increases, easily forming bead-like particles, and the polymer is difficult to eject from the needle. Therefore, the electrospinning solution containing chitosan has poor spinnability. To this end, spinning aids such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) are often added. They interact with chitosan through hydrogen bonds, reducing electrostatic repulsion and surface tension, and improving the spinnability of the chitosan spinning solution. At the same time, different types of antibacterial agents are added to solve the problem of difficult electrospinning of nanofibers and improve the antibacterial properties of nanofibers.
Recently, the team of Professor Xiaoming Zhao and Senior Engineer Yuanjun Liu from Tianjin Polytechnic University published their latest research results "Latest research progress on antibacterial properties of Chitosan-based nanofibers" in the journal Chemical Engineering Journal. The researchers first introduced the factors affecting the antibacterial properties of chitosan: the impact of chitosan from different sources on antibacterial activity, the internal factors affecting chitosan antibacterial properties, the influence of chitosan structural modification on antibacterial properties, and the effect of chitosan crosslinkers on the mechanical and antibacterial properties of nanofibers. Secondly, they detailed the research progress on the antibacterial properties of chitosan-based nanofibers from two dimensions: chitosan-based binary antibacterial and chitosan-based ternary antibacterial. Finally, they analyzed the main challenges faced in the commercialization of electrospun chitosan-based nanofibers and prospected the development direction of chitosan-based antibacterial nanofibers.
Figure 1: Different forms of chitosan.
Chitosan can be obtained or prepared in different physical forms such as powder, film, fiber, gel, nanoparticle, and porous structure, as shown in Figure 1. Chitosan-based nanofibers prepared by the electrospinning process have the advantages of small diameter, large specific surface area, adjustable pore size and porosity. They can increase the contact probability with bacteria, have strong adsorption capacity, and can effectively load most different types of antibacterial substances, playing an important role in the antibacterial field. In addition, the combined effect of high crystallinity and size effect significantly improves the mechanical properties of nanofibers. They can be further applied in fields such as food packaging, biomedicine, tissue engineering drug delivery, air and water purification.
Figure 2: Antibacterial mechanism of chitosan.
Chitosan is the only positively charged biopolymer in nature. Its amino groups can be protonated, and the protonated amino groups have a strong adsorption effect on various negatively charged harmful substances. The amount of positive charges on the chitosan molecular chain can determine its antibacterial activity. The antibacterial mechanism of chitosan against bacteria is to destroy the bacterial cell wall, inhibit bacterial mRNA and protein synthesis, and chelate with metal ions (Figure 2). When the pH value is lower than 6, the amino group at the C-2 position of CS is positively charged, resulting in an interaction between chitosan and bacterial cells. This interaction will change the integrity of the cell wall and lead to DNA attachment, ultimately inhibiting DNA replication and causing bacterial cell death. The antifungal properties of chitosan are manifested as effectively inhibiting spore germination, germ tube elongation, and radial growth in fungi.
Figure 3: Synergistic antibacterial effect of chitosan with organic/inorganic antibacterial agents.
The synergistic effect of chitosan with organic and inorganic antibacterial agents (Figure 3) can significantly enhance the antibacterial effect, achieve a more comprehensive antibacterial effect using a variety of antibacterial mechanisms, effectively reduce the risk of bacterial drug resistance, and at the same time improve the overall stability of the antibacterial system and extend the duration of antibacterial activity. Due to the poor water solubility of chitosan, combining it with organic antibacterial agents can improve its water solubility and dispersibility; adding inorganic antibacterial agents can also enhance the mechanical and barrier properties of chitosan-based nanofibers. In summary, the three can give full play to their respective advantages, make up for the deficiencies of a single antibacterial agent, and achieve a more efficient, safe, and durable antibacterial effect.
Table 1: Potential future prospects of chitosan-based nanofibers.
Chitosan-based nanofibers have good biocompatibility, degradability, and broad-spectrum antibacterial properties, showing broad application prospects in multiple fields, as shown in Table 1. They have significant application value in biomedicine (such as wound dressings, tissue engineering scaffolds, drug delivery systems), food packaging (active packaging materials, anticorrosive coatings), environmental protection (water treatment filter membranes, pollutant adsorption materials), personal care products (antibacterial wet wipes, hygiene products), and functional textiles (antibacterial clothing, medical protective materials). Future technological research and innovation will develop in the directions of multi-functionality, intelligence, and greenness.
