High-throughput fabrication of antimicrobial PHBV fiber mats via UV-assisted in situ silver nanoparticle synthesis

The growing demand for sustainable and high-throughput production of advanced antimicrobial materials requires the development of rapid, solvent-efficient fabrication strategies. In this work, we report a robust approach for producing antimicrobial fibrous mats of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) containing in-situ-synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). By combining solution blow spinning with UV-assisted photoreduction, Ag⁺ ions were converted to Ag⁰ in only 10 minutes—significantly faster than conventional routes. UV irradiation induced PHBV chain scission and radical formation, which enabled the nucleation of well-dispersed AgNPs as small as 3.6 nm. PHBV concentration influenced the viscosity, nanoparticle size, and aggregation behavior. The resulting mats released minimal amounts of silver while exhibiting potent antibacterial activity against E. coli , demonstrating the critical role of nanoscale control. This work provides new insights into UV-driven inorganic nanoparticle formation in biopolymer matrices and offers a scalable pathway for fabricating metal–polymer antimicrobial materials.