Integration of refining and in situ growth of silver nanoparticles for improving the antibacterial and antiviral performance of plant fibers

The prevalence of the new crown epidemic has deepened people’s awareness of the importance of antibacterial and antiviral materials. It is imperative to develop applicable and economical antibacterial materials. In this work, we have proposed a facile method to prepare plant fibers with prominent antibacterial and antiviral performance. In the proposed strategy, the fiber design and in situ assembly of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were applied to improve the antibacterial and antiviral performance of plant fibers. Mechanical refining split the fibers and made them conformable; in this instance, polydopamine (PDA) was precipitated onto the fiber surface by the oxidative polymerization of dopamine and linked closely with cellulose hydroxyl groups, while AgNPs were in situ grown on the PDA coatings; PDA acted as a bonder to link fibers and AgNPs together. Benefiting from the high AgNP loadings and strong bond between AgNPs and fibers, the fibers showed excellent antibacterial and antiviral performance. This study provides a novel route for improving the antibacterial performance of plant fibers. Graphical abstract