Long-term antimicrobial polyionene-modified PAN nanofibrous membranes via one-pot electrospinning and self-crosslinking for bioprotective applications

Microbial infections pose a significant challenge to public health. Traditional personal protective equipment (PPE) often lacks effective antimicrobial activity, potentially leading to secondary transmission and environmental contamination through discarded materials. Herein, we developed durable antimicrobial nanofibrous membranes by one-pot electrospinning of silane-functionalized polyionene-modified polyacrylonitrile (PAN), with in situ self-crosslinking during fiber formation. The polyionenes, synthesized through copolymerization of silane-containing monomers, exhibited antimicrobial efficacy against both bacteria and fungi (minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.5–128 μg/mL) while exhibiting excellent mammalian cell selectivity. The resulting membranes demonstrated contact-killing antimicrobial effects without leaching, ensuring long-term durability and biological safety. When incorporated as an intermediate filter layer in protective masks, they demonstrated 97.88 % filtration efficiency and obvious antimicrobial activity, highlighting their potential as personal protective applications.