Sustained free chlorine-releasing polydimethylsiloxane/Ca(ClO) materials with long-lasting disinfection efficacy.

A novel sustained chlorine-releasing polydimethylsiloxane/Ca(ClO) (PDMS/Ca(ClO)) material was fabricated by encapsulating Ca(ClO) in a PDMS matrix due to its high hydrophobicity and high chemical stability, which showed immediate-responsive and long-lasting antibacterial capabilities in aqueous conditions. Free chlorine could be released from the PDMS/Ca(ClO) after immersion in water for 2 min and could also be sustainedly released for 2 weeks, while the released concentration is negatively related to the duration time and positively with the initial Ca(ClO) contents. Additionally, Ca(ClO) powder as a filler significantly affects the crosslinking and pore size of PDMS. The PDMS/Ca(ClO) materials exhibited enduring antibacterial performance against () and () in both planktonic and multispecies-biofilm status. It is expected that this PDMS/Ca(ClO) material and its similar composite would be promising candidates for wide sustainable disinfection applications in biomedical and industrial fields.