Preparation and characterization of rose bengal modified chitosan/polyethylene oxide nanocomposite membranes with photodynamic antimicrobial properties

To address the challenge of antibiotic resistance and cross-infection from microorganisms, chitosan (CS) was covalently bound with rose bengal (RB) and blended with polyethylene oxide (PEO) to prepare nanofiber membranes with good antibacterial properties. Morphological and structural characteristics confirmed the successful integration of RB-modified CS (CS-RB) without compromising the fiber morphology or stability of PEO/CS-RB nanofiber membranes. FT-IR and TG analyses were employed to characterize the chemical structure and thermal stability of PEO-based membranes. Under visible light irradiation, PEO/CS-RB nanofiber membranes efficiently generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), enabling rapid inactivation of all Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Candida albicans (C. albicans) within 30 min. The PEO-based membranes exhibited well-balanced hydrophilicity and water stability, along with low hemolytic activity, indicating good biocompatibility. This strategy creates PEO-based membrane materials that exhibit good biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, and photodynamic antibacterial properties, making them suitable for use in the biomedical and healthcare fields.