Controlled Engineering of Nano-Povidones for Efficient Iodine Recovery and Antibacterial Reutilization

Iodine capture and reutilization have become one of the most pressing global challenges to public health. Herein, we synthesized novel antibacterial nano-povidones containing hydrophobic nitrile units and hydrophilic pyrrolidone units as two side chains via a radical copolymerization strategy. The pyrrolidone units functioned as an adsorbent to capture iodine and were capable of releasing iodine to attack pathogens. The particles' morphology, size, and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity balance were regulated facilely by introducing polyacrylonitrile into the povidone system. The final nano-povidone-iodines were found to be extremely potent against two selected pathogens Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with low cytotoxicity. Remarkably, in comparison with their bulk counterparts, the nano-povidone- iodines showed unexpectedly enhanced antibacterial action because of their special morphology and nanoscale size, rough surfaces, and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity balance. This proposed strategy may indicate a new direction for pollutant treatment and secondary utilization.