Preparation of amino acid-derived silicones as durable and biocompatible antibacterial finishing agents for cotton fabric

Antibacterial cotton fabric has attracted significant attention due to its widespread applications in clinical and medical supplies. However, many of these fabrics suffer from inadequate antibacterial durability and biocompatibility, which not only limit their practical application but also pose potential risks to human health. Herein, a series of aminoethylaminopropyl polydimethylsiloxane (AEAPS) with various amino acids were successfully synthesized, then the corresponding silicone oil emulsions were obtained via phase inversion emulsification and a durable and biocompatible antibacterial cotton fabric was achieved. The influence of various amino acid residues on antibacterial efficacy was investigated and L-Tryptophan (Trp) graft silicone oil (L-Trp-AEAPS) exhibits the best antibacterial performance. In addition, the resulting antibacterial cotton fabric (L-Trp-AEAPS-CF) shows good antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus , excellent biocompatibility, and low toxicity owing to the amino acid residue. Finally, after 50 laundering cycles, the L-Trp-AEAPS-CF retained an antibacterial efficiency exceeding 98 %, indicating excellent washing durability. The L-Trp-AEAPS-CF with antibacterial durability and biocompatibility exhibited broad application prospects in biomedical materials.