Characterization and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles on cotton fabrics, for antibacterial masks

Abstract

The in-situ impregnation of two commercial cotton fabrics (lab coat and Indiolino) with TiO 2 nanoparticles (TiO 2 -NPs) was carried out. For this, two commercial cotton fabrics were dipped in titanium isopropoxide, titanium butoxide and titanium tetrachloride solutions to the TiO 2 -NPs formation and in-situ TiO 2 -NPs impregnation on the cotton fabric surface by the sonochemical, hydrothermal and solvothermal methods, respectively. The impregnated fabrics were characterized by ATR-FTIR, SEM–EDS, Raman, UV–Vis, DRS and tension tests. The results showed the successful formation and impregnation of TiO 2 -NPs on both cotton fabrics. The leaching of TiO 2 -NPs from cotton fabrics was negligible after several washing cycles. The self-cleaning properties and antibacterial activity of TiO 2 -NPs functionalized cotton fabrics were assessed by photocatalytic and antibacterial tests. The photocatalytic activity was determined by the degradation of methylene blue dye under UV and solar irradiation. The materials showed good photoactivity, since MB was degraded up to 99% under solar and UV irradiations in 60 min. The bactericidal capacity of the TiO 2 -NPs on fabrics, evaluated in-situ by SEM, showed that Indiolino presented the best antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Bacillus pumilus.

The Influence of Titanium Oxide Nanoparticles and UV Radiation on the Electrical Properties of PEDOT:PSS-Coated Cotton Fabrics

“…The results show that the modified cotton had antimicrobial properties because the nanoparticles became more stable. Two types of modified cotton fabrics with TiO 2 nanoparticles were also prepared using three different fabrication methods; namely, sonochemical, hydrothermal, and solvothermal methods [ 18 ]. The modified cotton fabrics exhibited self-cleaning properties, as methylene blue was 99% degraded within 60 min after being exposed to sunlight.…”

Photocatalytic Activity and Biocide Properties of Ag-TIO₂ Composites on Cotton Fabrics

“…The lattice thread diameter, the grammage and the tensile strength were evaluated for the bare cotton fabrics (Indiolino) and after the treatments when NPs were incorporated on Indiolino. In previous work [11], Indiolino show: 0.4 m 2 /g of surface area, 0.38 mm of lattice thread diameter, grammage of 175 g/m 2 and 9.90 N of tensile strength.…”

“…In a similar sense, Prasad et al [6] reported the synthesis of TiO2-NPs by the sol-gel method assisted by ultrasound at low temperature. Additionally, the impregnation of several types of NPs on the surface of cotton fibers by ultrasonic irradiation has been reported previously, i.e., Ag nanoparticles [7], ZnO nanoparticles [8], CuO nanoparticles [9] and TiO2-NPs [10,11].…”

“…TiO2 NPs on cotton fabrics were obtained by hydrothermal synthesis [11], which is briefly follow descripted. The cotton samples were first dried at 70 °C for 4 h to remove adsorbed water and immediately dipped for 12 h into a 1 wt.% solution of titanium butoxide (BuOT) in a mixture of terbutanol and acetic acid (90/10 wt.%).…”

“…The immobilization of TiO2-NPs on cotton, obtaining the anatase phase without requiring subsequent heating and using the ultrasound-assisted sol-gel method is possible. This method showed high resistance of the fabrics to leaching under several wash cycles, thus maintaining their self-cleaning properties and UV protection [12,11]. The incorporation of nanoparticles in textiles is of great importance for the development of personal protection equipment (PPE) to face pandemics such as COVID-19 in a more efficient way [13].…”