Growing interest in natural and eco-friendly materials has driven the search for sustainable alternatives to synthetic antimicrobial agents. This study aims to develop antibacterial fibers based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) reinforced with chitosan (CTS) using an environmentally friendly wet-spinning process. Morphological analysis revealed surface irregularities that increased with CTS content, confirming its effect on fiber microstructure. Thermal analyses by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that CTS incorporation decreased the melting temperature while improving thermal stability. Mechanical testing demonstrated enhanced tensile strength (σ_s) and Young’s modulus (E) due to strong intermolecular interactions between CTS and the PVA matrix. The highest σ_s (1045 MPa) was obtained at 3 wt% CTS, while E reached 7.1 GPa at 5 wt%. Antibacterial tests against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli confirmed strong activity attributed to –NH₂ groups of CTS disrupting bacterial membranes. These results highlight the potential of PVA/CTS fibers for biomedical applications such as wound dressing and antibacterial materials.

This is an editorial article. It has no abstract.

The development of functional antibacterial spunbond fabrics is critical for improving indoor environmental treatment. This study presents the fabrication of polypropylene (PP) fibers embedded with silane-modified Zr/Ag co-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles. The Zr (5 mol%) and Ag (3 mol%) co-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized via a solvothermal method and subsequently modified with 5 wt% hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS), referred to as ZATS5. The solvothermal method enables the controlled synthesis of phase-pure, well-dispersed nanostructures and facilitates dopant incorporation in the photocatalysts completely. Additionally, HDTMS surface modification improved compatibility with the polypropylene matrix, enhancing dispersion and interfacial bonding and improving overall composite performance. ZATS5 was incorporated into the PP matrix through melt spinning to produce composite fibers. The minimum of ZATS5 at 1 wt% embedded in spunbond nonwoven composite (PP/ZATS5-1) demonstrated the fiber’s structural integrity and remarkable antibacterial activity. The PP/ZATS5-1 nonwoven fabric achieved 99.98% inactivation of Legionella pneumophila under dark conditions and complete inhibition under visible light. This research offers a scalable and effective strategy for developing antibacterial spunbond nonwoven fabrics with potential applications in medical textiles, as well as air and water purification systems operating under ambient indoor lighting.

In this work, a PDMS spinning technique is developed and enables the continuous production of a filament with a circular cross-section (~500 μm diameter). The production of continuous silicone polymer filaments can be useful in the textile field to provide new properties in applications such as weaving, knitting or composite reinforcement. The method involves injecting the pre-polymer and curing agent mixture into a heated oil bath (202–215 °C) to simultaneously shape and cure the PDMS. The morphological and mechanical properties of the filament are studied regarding the production parameters (formulation, needle diameter, bath temperature, conveyor belt speed). The most homogeneous filament is produced at the highest temperature (215°C) and conveyor belt speed (13.6 m∙min^–1). When subjected to cyclic mechanical stress, the PDMS filament produced exhibits stable mechanical behavior, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.

Polyimide (PI) fiber is a promising and high-performance polymer fiber with high temperature resistance and low density; however, much energy is needed during the thermal imidization process. Here, PI fiber with excellent mechanical properties and high-temperature resistance was fabricated via the dry-jet wet spinning method for polyamic acid (PAA) precursor fiber, followed by stretching and thermal imidization reaction at a lower temperature. With the increase of the stretching ratio, the mechanical properties of the PI fiber increase significantly. When the stretching was twice as long, the tensile strength and initial modulus of the fiber were as high as 6.23 and 114.13 cN·dtex^–1, respectively. Fourier transform infrared results revealed that all samples were completely imidized at 260 °C. The resulting PI fibers exhibit only 5% weight loss at 539.53 °C, and its limiting oxygen index (LOI) can reach up to 32.6%, showing excellent high temperature resistance and flame-retardant properties as well as commendable mechanical performance, which compare favorably with those of other imidization methods.