Electrospun nanofibrous membranes of quinolinium salts for reusable photodynamic antibacterial face mask

Respiratory droplet transmission is the primary route of infection during respiratory disease outbreaks, and face masks are essential for prevention. Nevertheless, conventional nonwoven fabric masks exhibit several critical limitations, including insufficient filtration of submicron aerosols (<0.3 μm), lack of intrinsic antibacterial activity, non-reusability, and non-biodegradability, which together present significant challenges to both public health and environmental sustainability. In this work, a quaternary ammonium salt molecule, named 5-MPQ-Me, exhibiting excellent photodynamic antibacterial activity, was synthesized using a simple and cost-effective route. Subsequently, 5-MPQ-Me was loaded onto a polymer matrix of polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) using electrospinning technology, resulting in the fabrication of a photodynamic antibacterial membrane with excellent stability, biodegradability, reusability, and antibacterial efficacy. Compared to traditional nonwoven fabric masks, the fabricated membrane exhibited superior bacterial adsorption and antibacterial activity when exposed to air containing various bacterial species, owing to its high specific surface area and the incorporation of the highly active antibacterial agent 5-MPQ-Me. These results demonstrate that the developed electrospun membrane provides an effective platform for integrating photodynamic antibacterial functionality into fibrous filtration materials. The synergistic combination of a cost-effective quinolinium-based AIE photosensitizer and a PLA/PEG fibrous architecture highlights a promising strategy for the design of multifunctional and environmentally friendly protective materials.