Dual Coordination between Stereochemistry and Cations Endows Polyethylene Terephthalate Fabrics with Diversiform Antimicrobial Abilities for Attack and Defense

Modification of fabrics by stereochemical antiadhesion strategies is an emerging approach to antimicrobial fabric finishing. However, a purely antiadhesive fabric cannot avoid the passive adhesion of pathogenic microorganisms. To address this issue, borneol 4-formylbenzoate (BF) with a stereochemical structure is introduced into a cationic polymer PEI-modified PET fabric by a simple two-step method. The obtained fabric exhibits remarkable features of high bactericidal activity, excellent resistance to bacterial adhesion, desirable fungal repellent performance, and low cytotoxicity. More impressively, this modified fabric not only effectively reduces microbial contamination during food preservation but also plays a role in avoiding infection and accelerating wound healing in the mouse wound model. The dual coordination between stereochemistry and cations is validated as a viable “attack and defense” antimicrobial strategy, providing an effective guide for diversiform antimicrobial designs.