Preparation of silver nanowire/expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and polypropylene nanocomposites via all solution process method for antibacterial applications

Present work describes the fabrication of polypropylene (PP) and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) air filters with antibacterial properties and more stability against washing cycles. Silver nanowires (AgNWs) were used as antibacterial agents on the filters. Deposition of AgNWs directly on the surfaces of the PP and ePTFE resulted in the preparation of the products that their antibacterial properties were significantly reduced after a few washing cycles. In order to immobilize the AgNWs on the surface of highly hydrophobic substrates such as ePTFE and PP, sodium naphthalenide was used to modify the surfaces of the PP and ePTFE fibers. The presence of sodium naphthalenide reduces the hydrophobic properties of the fibers and therefore it can increase the bonding of AgNWs to the surface. The results of the antibacterial test showed that these modified membranes have a higher durability compared to those modified without sodium naphthalenide interfacial layer.