Obtaining of medical textiles based on viscose and chitosan with simultaneously improved sorption and antibacterial properties by using dielectric barrier discharge

This study aimed to obtain textile based on viscose and chitosan with simultaneously improved sorption and antibacterial properties. For that reason, before functionalization with chitosan, the viscose fabric was modified by nonthermal gas plasma of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) to introduce into its structure functional groups suitable for improved adsorption of chitosan. Functional groups' content of unmodified and DBD modified viscose fabric was determined by the calcium acetate method, while their influence on the surface charge, as well as the success of the functionalization of viscose fabrics with chitosan, was evaluated by measuring the zeta potential. Morphological, sorption and antibacterial properties of unmodified and DBD modified viscose fabrics, before and after functionalization with chitosan, were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, capillary rise method, and standard test method ASTME 2149-01: 2001, respectively. The obtained results showed that the treatment with DBD contributed to the simultaneous improvement of sorption and antibacterial properties of viscose fabric functionalized with chitosan, making it suitable for the production of high value-added medical textiles.