Antimicrobial Activity and Barrier Properties against UV Radiation of Alkaline and Enzymatically Treated Linen Woven Fabrics Coated with Inorganic Hybrid Material

Abstract

One of the directions of development in the textiles industry is the search for new technologies for producing modern multifunctional products. New solutions are sought to obtain materials that will protect humans against the harmful effects of the environment, including such factors as the activity of microorganisms and UV radiation. Products made of natural cellulose fibers are often used. In the case of this type of material, it is very important to perform appropriate pretreatment before subsequent technological processes. This treatment has the aim of removing impurities from the surface of the fibers, which results in the improvement of sorption properties and adhesion, leading directly to the better penetration of dyes and chemical modifiers into the structure of the materials. In this work, linen fabrics were subjected to a new, innovative treatment being a combination of bio-pretreatment using laccase from Cerrena unicolor and modification with CuO-SiO2 hybrid oxide microparticles by a dip-coating method. To compare the effect of alkaline or enzymatic pretreatment on the microstructure of the linen woven fabrics, SEM analysis was performed. The new textile products obtained after this combined process exhibit very good antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans, significant antibacterial activity against the Gram-negative Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, as well as very good UV protection properties (ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) > 40). These innovative materials can be used especially for clothing or outdoor textiles for which resistance to microorganisms is required, as well as to protect people who are exposed to long-term, harmful effects of UV radiation.

Optical Behavior of Curcuminoid Hybrid Systems as Coatings Deposited on Polyester Fibers

“…Thus, it has been observed that polyester fabrics had a higher protection factor than cotton [55]. At the same time, different types of coatings were made using modern methods, using absorbers or blockers to improve the anti-UV properties [56][57][58][59][60].…”

Protective Multifunctional Fibrous Systems Based on Natural Fibers and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles

“…The UV protection capacity obtained was also very interesting, with UPF values of >40. The developed samples showed special potential to be used as clothing or outdoor textiles, since they offer protection against microorganisms and UV radiation [ 11 ].…”

“…of CuO-SiO 2 , ( e , f ) linen fabric after enzymatic treatment with 5.0 U/g of laccase and dip-coating with 5% wt. of CuO-SiO 2 [ 11 ].…”

“…These structures should be capable of self-decontamination as well as detection of a wide range of toxic materials [ 10 ]. One of the most recent trends in textile industry, that can also be one great strategy for the development of advanced protective fibrous structures, is the development of multifunctional products [ 11 ] based on their functionalization with nanoparticles (NPs), especially metallic and metal oxide ones. Due to their nanoscale and large surface area, the incorporation of NPs into textiles can provide several new functionalities, including the degradation of chemical/biological harmful agents [ 12 ].…”

Modifications of Textile Materials with Functional Silanes, Liquid Silicone Softeners, and Silicone Rubbers—A Review

“…Antimicrobial modifications of textile materials [ 16 ], and their protection against UV radiation with different kinds of modifiers [ 17 ], were also very often applied.…”