# Investigation of chitosan-supported silver as a safe and effective broad-spectrum antimicrobial textile finish

> **NIH NIH R41** · CHITOZAN HEALTH, LLC · 2022 · $254,157

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
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The overall research goal of the proposed work is to test the antimicrobial activity and durability of a chitosan-supported
silver-based textile finish for incorporation into hospital privacy curtains. Furthermore, successful development of this
textile finish for privacy curtains would set the foundation for development of additional antimicrobial textiles for
incorporation in bed sheets, blankets, patient clothing, scrubs, and surgical sheets, for example. Antimicrobial textiles serve
to combat hospital-acquired infections which affect approximately 2 million patients per year and incur annual direct
medical costs of at least $28.4 billion in the U.S. In support of the overall research goal, Specific Aim 1 will determine the
loading rate of the chitosan silver product on a variety of textiles relevant to the healthcare field given a manufacturing
tolerance of 10%. The current chitosan silver product (1% chitosan and 0.15% silver) will be manufactured with a tolerance
of 10% (0.9-1.1% chitosan and 0.14-0.16% silver) and used to finish cotton, polyester, spandex, and textile blends, with
subsequent determination of the loading rate of the chitosan silver textile finish. Results of Specific Aim 1 will provde the
basis for correlating antimicrobial activity with chitosan and silver concentrations on treated textiles. Specific Aim 2 will
determine the antimicrobial activity of the textiles prepared in Specific Aim 1. Four organisms will be used in testing: a
gram negative bacterium, a gram positive bacterium, a yeast, and a mold. Testing will determine the presence of diffusible
antimicrobial agents, indicative of leaching of the chitosan silver finish, and further testing will determine contact inhibition
of the treated textiles. Results of Specific Aim 2 will determine the primary mode of antimicrobial activity, which is
anticipated to be via contact inhibition rather than leaching of the chitosan silver finish. Specific Aim 3 will demonstrate
the durability of the textile finish during washing and disinfection. Textiles will be washed, with and without bleach, using
typical cleaning conditions for healthcare textiles. Antimicrobial efficacy will be tested after 10, 50, and 100 washes using
the same methods as described for Specific Aim 2. After each washing stage, silver remaining on the textile will be
determined via nitric acid digestion and ICP-MS. Results of Specific Aim 3 will demonstrate the durability of the textile
finish during typical cleaning procedures, and verify the retention of the chitosan silver finish. Specific Aim 4 is to determine
how the chitosan silver textile finish alters textile properties, specifically, color, water repellency, and flammability. The
treated textiles are anticipated to demonstrate minimal graying, no impact on water repellency, and reduced flammability.
To demonstrate the utility of this chitosan silver finish ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10546228
- **Project number:** 1R41AI172693-01
- **Recipient organization:** CHITOZAN HEALTH, LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Dana Oliver
- **Activity code:** R41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $254,157
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-07-12 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10546228

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10546228, Investigation of chitosan-supported silver as a safe and effective broad-spectrum antimicrobial textile finish (1R41AI172693-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10546228. Licensed CC0.

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