Fabrication of polymer/layered silicate intercalated nanofibrous mats and their bacterial inhibition activity

A uniform electrospun nanofibrous membrane was fabricated from chitosan (CS)–polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/organic rectorite (OREC) with different mixing ratios by solution-mixing process and eleltrospinning technologies. The morphology, intercalation between polymer and OREC, and bacterial inhibition activity of the electrospun membranes were investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy showed uniform fibrous structure generated with the addition of OREC. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results confirmed the existence of OREC on the surface of electrospun membranes. Fourier transform infrared spectra and small angle X-ray diffraction results verified that the interlayer of OREC was intercalated by CS and PVA chains successfully. The controllable interlayer distance of OREC was enlarged from 3.68 to 4.28 nm. The membranes had enhanced bacterial inhibition activity with the addition of OREC.