A multidisciplinary team from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), including researchers from the Alcoi Campus, the Chemical Technology Institute (ITQ, CSIC-UPV), the Mediterranean Agroforest Institute (IAM UPV), and the Joint Research Unit between the UPV and the Health Research Institute of La Fe Hospital of Valencia (UPV-IISLaFe), has developed an innovative self-disinfecting cotton fabric. This material possesses the ability to eliminate bacteria, fungi, and viruses in hospital environments through the use of visible light.
The fabric incorporates two photoactive compounds that, when illuminated, generate a highly reactive form of oxygen. This substance damages microorganisms attached to the fabric, leading to their elimination. As explained by Alberto Blázquez-Moraleja from ITQ CSIC-UPV, the objective was to develop fabrics that reduce the presence of microorganisms in hospitals and other healthcare settings, mitigating issues such as the loss of efficacy of conventional antimicrobials or the emergence of resistance. "And that is what we have achieved in this work," states Marilés Bonet from the Department of Textile and Paper Engineering at the Alcoi campus of the UPV.
In laboratory tests, the fabric proved effective against various pathogens. It completely inactivated Escherichia coli within 60 minutes and Enterococcus faecalis within 20 minutes under illumination. It also succeeded in reducing the presence of Candida albicans in three hours. Furthermore, the material retains a significant portion of its antimicrobial activity after successive washes. Even after 20 cycles, it maintained a bactericidal efficacy above the reference levels for antimicrobial fabrics, according to Pilar Moya from the Mediterranean Agroforest Institute of the UPV.
Hospital validation was conducted in the rooms of 12 patients at the Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe de València. The fabrics were placed for 48 hours in two areas: bed rails, exposed to light, and mattresses, with less illumination. Untreated cotton fabrics were used as a control. "In the hospital rooms, the fabric exposed to light accumulated 75% fewer microorganisms than a conventional cotton fabric placed under the same conditions," explains Inmaculada Andreu from the UPV-IIS La Fe Joint Research Unit. When the material remained in an area without direct light, the reduction was only 25%, confirming the significant dependence on illumination for its antimicrobial effect. The efficacy was particularly high against Gram-positive bacteria, with a reduction of 77.5%.
The research team highlights that the manufacturing process for this fabric could be easily integrated into standard textile finishing techniques, thereby facilitating the large-scale development of new self-disinfecting textile garments for hospitals. The work has been published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
