Ferreira I, Brünig H, Focke W, Boldt R, Androsch R, Leuteritz A. Melt-Spun Poly(D,L-lactic acid) Monofilaments Containing N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide as Mosquito Repellent.
MATERIALS 2021;
14:ma14030638. [PMID:
33573227 PMCID:
PMC7866511 DOI:
10.3390/ma14030638]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is still a major tropical disease, with Africa particularly burdened. It has been proposed that outdoor protection could aid substantially in reducing the malaria incidence rate in rural African communities. Recently, melt-spun polyolefin fibers containing mosquito repellents have been shown to be promising materials to this end. In this study, the incorporation of N,N‑Diethyl‑3‑methylbenzamide (DEET)-a popular and widely available mosquito repellent-in commercially available, amorphous poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA) is investigated with the aim of producing biodegradable mosquito-repelling filaments with a reduced environmental impact. It is shown to be possible to produce macroscopically stable PDLLA-DEET compounds containing up to 20 wt.-% DEET that can be melt-spun to produce filaments, albeit at relatively low take-up speeds. A critical DEET content allows for stress-induced crystallization during the spinning of the otherwise amorphous PDLLA, resulting in the formation of α-crystals. Although the mechanical integrity of the filaments is notably impacted by the incorporation of DEET, these filaments show potential as materials that can be used for Malaria vector control.
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