The effect of process parameters and of aging on the atmospheric air-plasma treatment of polyethylene terephtalate (PET) woven fabric were studied using surface analysis methods: wettability/capillarity method as well as tapping mode atomic force microscopy imaging. Treatment time and plasma power have significant effect on the variation in fabric capillary weight, surface water contact angle and surface topography. Plasma treatment of PET surface with plasma species not only degrades the surface but also causes surface restructuring as the speed is lowered and the power is increased. An optimal treatment of the PET fabric samples, in terms of increased hydrophilicity both inside and on the PET fabric, is achieved at 60 KJ/m 2 and at a lower speed of 1-2 m/min: water contact angle decreasing from 81 to 40 and capillary weight increasing from 55 to 380 mg. Aging experiments show that, the plasma-treated surface is degraded to a more disordered structure without light, whereas in presence of light a more eroded but organized structure is observed. Indeed wettability/capillarity test shows that light degrades the plasma treatment both at and inside the fabric structure. However, in absence of light, although aging is very slow at the fabric surface, a decrease in capillary uptake by the fabric is detected.
Robust immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) enzyme was achieved on poly(ethylene terephthalate) nonwoven fabric (PN) after integration of favourable surface functional groups through plasma treatments [atmospheric pressure-AP or cold remote plasma-CRP (N2 + O2)] and/or chemical grafting of hyperbranched dendrimers [poly-(ethylene glycol)-OH or poly-(amidoamine)]. Absorption, stability, catalytic behavior of immobilized enzymes and reusability of resultant fibrous bio-catalysts were comparatively studied. Full characterization of PN before and after respective modifications was carried out by various analytical, instrumental and arithmetic techniques. Results showed that modified polyester having amine terminal functional groups pledged better surface property providing up to 31% enzyme loading, and 81% active immobilized enzymes. The activity of the enzyme was measured in terms of interaction aptitude of GOx in a given time to produce hydrogen peroxide using colorimetric assay. The immobilized GOx retained 50% of its original activity after being reused six (06) times and exhibited improved stability compared with the free enzyme in relation to temperature. The reaction kinetics, loading efficiency, leaching, and reusability analysis of enzyme allowed drawing a parallel to the type of organic moiety integrated during GOx immobilization. In addition, resultant fibrous bio-catalysts showed substantial antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria strains (Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli) in the presence of oxygen and glucose. These results are of great importance because they provide proof-of-concept for robust immobilization of enzymes on surface-modified fibrous polyester fabric for potential bio-industrial applications.
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