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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Raleigh, North Carolina » Food Science and Market Quality and Handling Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #342014
Research Project: Intervention Strategies for Controlling Human Pathogens Associated with Fermented and Acidified Vegetables

Location: Food Science and Market Quality and Handling Research Unit

Title: Atmospheric pressure plasma grafting of antimicrobial chemistry to nonwoven polypropylene

Author
item CORNELIUS, CARRIE - North Carolina State University
item MCCORD, MARIAN - North Carolina State University
item BOURHAM, MOHAMED - North Carolina State University
item HAUSER, PETER - North Carolina State University
item CALDWELL, JANE - Former ARS Employee
item Breidt, Frederick

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Polymer Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/17/2018
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Antimicrobial fabrics were constructed using a derivative of a natural antimicrobial called chitosan. The antimicrobial was grafted onto fabrics using an atmospheric pressure plasma procedure. The process for attaching the chitosan derivative was optimized and then the fabric was tested to determine if it was retained the chitosan derivative on the fabric, and if it retained antimicrobial activity. The fabric was found to have antimicrobial activity using a bioassay with several species of bacteria, including bacteria commonly associated with human diseases (including Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus). The work extends previous work in the field attaching a variety of antimicrobials to fabrics by plasma methods.

Technical Abstract: An antimicrobial compound, HTCC, was synthesized from chitosan using a zinc borofluorohydrate catalyst. HTCC was subsequently grafted to nonwoven polypropylene using atmospheric pressure plasma. The effect of plasma exposure sequence was examined, and the optimum grafting procedure determined to be two plasma exposures, one pre- and the other post- chemical application. Samples were characterized using static contact angle determination, acid dye tests, and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy to confirm the presence of the grafted HTCC. Antimicrobial assays indicate bacterial resistance.