Antimicrobial and Antifouling Effects of Petal‐Like Nanostructure by Evaporation‐Induced Self‐Assembly for Personal Protective Equipment

Although the personal protective equipment (PPE) used by healthcare workers (HCWs) effectively blocks hazardous substances and pathogens, it does not fully rule out the possibility of infection, as pathogens surviving on the fabric surface pose a substantial risk of cross‐infection through unintended means. Therefore, PPE materials that exhibit effective biocidal activity while minimizing contamination by viscous body fluids (e.g., blood and saliva) and pathogen‐laden droplets are highly sought. In this study, petal‐like nanostructures (PNSs) are synthesized through the vertical rearrangement of colloidal lamellar bilayers via evaporation‐induced self‐assembly of octadecylamine, silica‐alumina sol, and diverse photosensitizer. The developed method is compatible with various fabrics and imparts visible‐light‐activated antimicrobial and superhydrophobic‐based antifouling activities. PNS‐coated fabrics could provide a high level of protection and effectively block pathogen transmission as exemplified by their ability to roll off viscous body fluids reducing bacterial droplet adhesion and to inactivate various microorganisms. The combination of antifouling and photobiocidal activities results in the complete inactivation of sprayed pathogen‐laden droplets within 30 min. Thus, this study paves the way for effective contagious disease management and the protection of HCWs in general medical environments, inspiring further research on the fabrication of materials that integrate multiple useful functionalities. Novel coatings based on petal‐like nanostructures (PNSs) are prepared by simple dip coating using the evaporation‐induced self‐assembly of rose bengal, octadecylamine, and silica‐alumina sol. PNS‐functionalized fabrics demonstrate high protection and disinfection efficiency against hazardous materials such as bacterial droplets and body fluids based on multifunctional superhydrophobic nanostructure‐activated antifouling and visible‐light‐activated photobiocidal properties.