Antibacterial activity of silk-based blend nanofibers grafted with benzophenone and vitamin B derivatives

Abstract

Although many efforts have been made in medicine, bacterial infection is still one of the most serious threats to human health. The construction of antibacterial materials with good bactericidal properties is extremely desired. However, this is still greatly challenging. Here, we demonstrate a scalable methodology to fabricate photoactive silk fibroin–cellulose acetate blend nanofibrous membranes grafted with 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride and riboflavin (BR-SCBNMs) that can successfully generate reactive oxygen species under light irradiation, for killing bacteria. The method allows intrinsically photoinduced antibacterial molecules to react covalently with nanosized fibers, producing a durable material with potent biocidal activity. The resultant BR-SCBNMs could store photochemical energy under light irradiation and release it in dark conditions, and exhibited nanosized fiber diameter (172 nm), good mechanical performance (85.6 cN/mm²), excellent photoactivity, and high antibacterial efficiency (99.99% contact killing). The construction of such attractive nanofibrous materials indicates a practical method to provide green and efficient protection for bacterial elimination.