Antimicrobial nano-fibrous membranes developed from electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers

In this study, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nano-fibrous membranes with fiber diameters of ∼450 nm were prepared by the technique of electrospinning; amidoxime nano-fibrous membranes were then prepared through treatment of PAN nano-fibrous membranes in hydroxylamine (NH2OH) aqueous solution. The –C N groups on the surface of PAN nanofibers reacted with NH2OH molecules and led to the formation of –C(NH2) N–OH groups, which were used for coordination of Ag+ ions. Subsequently, the coordinated Ag + ions were converted into silver nanoparticles (AgNP) with sizes being tens of nanometers. Morphologies, structures, and antimicrobial efficacies (against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli )o f the membranes of electrospun PAN (ESPAN) nanofibers, ESPAN surface functionalized with amidoxime groups (ASFPAN), ASFPAN coordinated with silver ions (ASFPAN–Ag