Abstract:
Spanish researchers have developed a new cotton fabric that can automatically kill microorganisms using ordinary white light, providing a new solution for reducing the risk of hospital infections. This material does not need to rely on special light sources such as ultraviolet or blue light, and can exert antibacterial effects in the daily lighting environment of the hospital.
Patients in hospitals are often frail and more susceptible to infections from pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. For a long time, scientific researchers have been exploring functional materials that can actively inhibit the spread of pathogenic microorganisms. However, many existing solutions require specific wavelength light sources to initiate the sterilization effect, and their practical applications are limited.
This study was completed by a research team from the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain. Based on ordinary cotton cloth, the researchers added a chitosan layer and a crystal compound called cyanoguanidine to its surface, and further introduced two photosensitive antibacterial dyes, methylene blue and Rose Bengal. When the material is irradiated by visible white light, these components will generate reactive oxygen species with strong oxidizing ability, thereby destroying microorganisms attached to the fabric surface.
Laboratory test results show that under white light irradiation conditions, this fabric can completely inactivate E. coli within 60 minutes, completely inactivate Enterococcus faecalis within 20 minutes, and significantly reduce the number of Candida albicans within 3 hours. In addition, the researchers also reported that the material also has the ability to inhibit viruses.
In order to verify the actual effect, the research team conducted on-site tests in 12 wards of the La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital in Valencia, Spain. They placed the treated fabrics on the bed guardrails where they could receive direct lighting, and on the mattress areas where the lighting was relatively weak, and used ordinary cotton as a control sample for continuous observation for 48 hours.
The results show that under sufficient lighting conditions, the number of microorganisms accumulated on the surface of the new fabric is about 75% less than that of ordinary cotton. When the material is located in a location lacking direct light, the number of microorganisms decreases by only about 25%, proving that its antibacterial effect is highly dependent on light conditions. Among them, the inhibition of Gram-positive bacteria was particularly obvious, with the number reduction reaching 77.5%.
The study also found that the fabric has better durability. Even after 20 washing cycles, its antibacterial performance remains above the requirements of relevant antibacterial fabric standards, showing potential for practical application.
Researchers believe that one of the biggest advantages of this technology is that it is compatible with existing textile finishing processes and can be industrialized without completely changing the existing production process. In the future, this type of material is expected to be used in hospital bed sheets, hospital gowns, curtains and other high-touch fabrics, thereby helping to reduce the spread of pathogenic microorganisms in the hospital environment and reducing the risk of nosocomial infections.
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