Enhancing water repellence and mechanical properties of antibacterial gelatin/Ce(III) fiber by heat treatment

The water repellence and mechanical properties of the gelatin/Ce(III) fiber (GCe fiber) were improved by heat treatment, which was an easy and non-toxic method. The microscopic morphology, mechanical properties, antibacterial activity, and cell culture of the GCe fibers by heat treatment (HGCe fiber) were investigated. It was found that the water repellence and mechanical properties of the HGCe fibers increased significantly along with temperature increase. SEM observation showed that HGCe fibers had a fairly smooth surface and a compact structure. Detailed characterization revealed that the HGCe fibers exhibited similar antibacterial activity with the GCe fibers against Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, the results of cell culture by morphological assessment and methylthiazolyl tetrazolium assay (MTT assay) indicated the good biocompatibility of GCe fibers. Therefore, the HGCe fibers could be a promising candidate biomaterial for biomedicine applications.