Antibacterial and antiviral fabrics

Abstract

Disclosure provides antimicrobial fiber, comprising: a cationic or polycationic moiety grafted onto a cellulosic fiber and an anionic photosensitizer. Exposing the antimicrobial cotton fiber to light generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induces a biocidal function.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of generating a biocidal reactive oxygen species (ROS) from an antimicrobial fiber, the method comprising:
 providing the antimicrobial fiber, wherein the antimicrobial fiber comprises a cationic or polycationic moiety grafted onto a cellulosic fiber surface and an anionic photosensitizer; and   exposing the antimicrobial fiber to light to generate the ROS and induce a biocidal function.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic fiber surface comprises cotton or a cotton blend. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic fiber surface comprises cotton. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial fiber is antibacterial. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial fiber is antiviral. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cationic or polycationic moiety grafted onto the cellulosic fiber surface comprises polyDEAE@cotton, which has formula I: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein m is a value from 1-10,000. 
       
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cationic or polycationic moiety grafted onto a cellulosic fiber comprises CHPTAC@cotton, which has formula II: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cationic or polycationic moiety grafted onto a cellulosic fiber comprises POP@cotton, which has formula IIIa or IIIb: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anionic photosensitizer comprises a member selected from the group consisting of Rose Bengal, sodium anthraquinone-2-sulfonate, menadione sodium bisulfite (MSB) (soluble VK3), riboflavin (RF), a flavin mononucleotide (FMN), derivatives of vitamin K and flavins. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the anionic photosensitizer comprises Rose Bengal.