Development of Textiles with Antimicrobial Properties

With current events and the focus on homeland defense, there has been much interest in rendering materials biocidal. This Phase II effort will build on the feasibility demonstration of Phase I where Luna covalently bound biocidal molecules to a commercially available textile sample, and tested the newly modified textile for resistance to different strains of bacteria. The mechanical properties of the textile fabrics were shown to be uncompromised by the processing chemistries. The proposed research has yielded valuable information relevant to i)selection and synthesis of appropriate biocides, ii) methods of covalent attachment to textiles, iii) evaluation of the efficacy of the biocidal textile, and iv) validation of textile mechanical properties before and after processing. Building on this technology, Luna Innovations will move this technology foreward in the Phase II program by (i) synthesis of a series of biocides and characterization of their biocidal properties in solution, (ii) exploring several modes of covalent attachment of the biocide to the textile as well as understanding the kinetics of lethality of the textile fibers, and (iii) understanding the mechanical properties of the textiles and scale-up processes.