A synergistic self-cleaning and antibacterial studies of photocatalytic carbon nitride/polypyrrole coated cotton fabrics for smart textile application

Abstract

Smart fabrics are one of the progressing technologies in this era especially in the eld of self-cleaning and stain removing applications. Recent years, photocatalyst based self-cleaning technology seek much attention in the elds of therapeutic textiles, athletic clothing, defense uniforms and outdoor material. In this present work, the carbon nitride (C 3 N 4 ) blended with conducting polypyrrole polymer (PPY) were coated over cotton fabrics by modi ed pad-dry cure method. The C 3 N 4 /PPY composite coated cotton fabric shows enhanced photocatalytic degradation e ciency of 96.5% compared to individual coatings of C 3 N 4 and PPY. The photocatalytic stain removal and self-cleaning properties of C 3 N 4 /PPY composite coated cotton fabric was successfully demonstrated by using various colored stain under simulated solar irradiation. Also, the C 3 N 4 /PPY composite coated cotton fabric exhibited excellent resistance to bacterial growth. The dual advantages of photocatalytic antibacterial activity and self-cleaning of C 3 N 4 /PPY composite coated cotton fabric led to sustainable, innovative textile applications with signi cant lower water consumption during washing process.