Chao Chen

PhD student

Contact

Email: chaoc@kth.se

Telephone: +46 (0) 87908105 

Project 

Contact-Active antibacterial fiber by the Layer-by-Layer approach 

Traditional antibacterial methods are graduallyrealized that have environmental issues and the potential risk of evolving resistant bacteria. Using biocompatible material to develop awide-spectrum antibacterial method attracts more attention nowadays.

The project requires focuses onsurface modification of cellulose fiber by using strong positive charged polyelectrolyte to achieve the antibacterial properties.

The renewable cellulose fiber is used as substrate as it is widely utilized in tissues and hygiene products, which are products that can have added value by having an antibacterial modification. The layer-by-layer (LbL) technique makes it possible to get an antibacterial function using mild react conditions and water-based solutions. In this technique, charged polymers are physically adsorbed onto surfaces. By having the antibacterial polymer attached to the surface we achieve aso-called contact-active, or non-leaching, antibacterial material. We thereby avoid the problems of leaching toxic substances into the environment. Currently we use the highly charged cationic polyvinylamine (PVAm) to make our contact-active antibacterial fibers, but a future possibility is to use bio-based polymers. An example of such polymers is chitosan and quaternized chitosan that possesses high positive charges. As a extraction of chitin that can obtain from the shall of shrimps and craps, chitosan is totally biocompatible polymer compound, and it was also found has good antibacterial property. Its derivative, the quaternized chitosan that has much better water solubility is considered as a better antibacterial agent that can be used to modify the fiber surface.

Supervisors

Prof. Monica Ek

PhD. Josefin Illergård

Financing

China Scholarship Council

Academic Background

Master degree of Chemical Science and Engineering at Royal Institute of Technology (2012), Stockholm, Sweden

Bachelor degree of Applied Chemistry at Dalian University of Technology (2009), Dalian, China

Personal

Born in 1986, in Dalian, China