Dual-action anti-mold wood fibers functionalized with Zn-Al layered double hydroxides and stearic acid coatings

Wood fibers offer promising sustainable alternatives to synthetic options; however, their susceptibility to mold limits their widespread adoption. Here we report a facile strategy to fabricate anti-mold wood fibers via in-situ growth of Zn-Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) followed by stearic acid (STA) post-coating. Electrostatic interactions drive the adhesion of LDH to wood, while STA provides surface hydrophobicity, as revealed by molecular dynamics simulations. The resulting wood fibers exhibit remarkable anti-mold activity against common fungal species, including Aspergillus , Trichoderma , and Penicillium , showing clear inhibition zones and no fungal growth in accelerated tests. Further analyses reveal that the direct antifungal effect arises from electrostatic absorption, oxidative stress induction, and metal ions release, while the indirect effect is due to hydrophobicity. Our findings demonstrate a scalable and cost-effective approach for functionalizing natural fibers to combat microorganisms, broadening the application scope of cellulose-based materials in construction, packaging, and biocomposites. We anticipate this work to be a starting point for developing wood fiber composites with intrinsic mold resistance for health- and eco-conscious applications.