Synthesis of n-alkylated quaternary ammonium chitosan and its long-term antibacterial finish for rabbit hair fabric

In this work, n-alkyl chitosan (N-CTS) was obtained by alkylation modification of chitosan with n-butylaldehyde using Schiff alkali method. The etherifying agent 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl triethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC-ethyl) was synthesized from triethylamine and epichlorohydrin. The N-CTS and CHPTAC-ethyl were etherized to finally synthesize n-alkyl quaternary ammonium chitosan (N-CCTS). Scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and (CNMR)-C-13 were used to characterize the surface morphology and chemical structure. Viscosity method and spectrophotometry were used to determine its physical and chemical properties. The etherification reaction mechanism was studied systematically and the influence of reaction conditions on the degree of substitution and solubility of N-CCTS was investigated. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of N-CCTS against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was both 0.15 g/L, which was superior to the MIC value of natural chitosan. N-CCTS was used to finish rabbit hair fabric with citric acid as cross-linking agent and sodium hypophosphite as catalyst. The antibacterial and washing resistance of the product were investigated. After 25 times of washing, the antibacterial rate of N-CCTS against E. coli and S. aureus remained stable at about 90%, and the antibacterial rate was higher than that of N-CTS and natural chitosan, and it was a kind of natural polymer long-acting antibacterial finishing agent for rabbit hair fabric.