Layer-by-layer immobilization of quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan/organic rectorite and alginate onto nanofibrous mats and their antibacterial application

• Chitosan was modified into quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan.
• Rectorite was modified by SDS into organic rectorite.
• The OREC based intercalated nanofibrous mats were fabricated.
• LBL self-assembly technique was applied.

Quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan (QCM-chitosan) and organic rectorite (OREC) immobilized nanofibrous mats are fabricated via layer-by-layer (LBL) technique in a self-assembly manner. The negatively charged cellulose nanofibrous mats hydrolyzed from electrospun cellulose acetate (CEL) mats are alternately modified with the positively charged QCM-chitosan and OREC intercalated composites and the negatively charged sodium alginate (ALG) via LBL technique. The morphology and antibacterial activity of the resultant mats are studied by changing the number of deposition bilayers, the compositions of dipping solutions and outermost layer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results imply that QCM-chitosan and OREC are coated on cellulose mats. Besides, wide angle X-ray diffraction and small angle X-ray diffraction are applied to investigate the crystalline of the composite mats and the interlayer distance of OREC, respectively. The antibacterial activity of the mats increases with the incorporation of OREC into LBL films.