Tailoring of multifunctional cotton fabric by embedding a TiO2+ZnO composite into a chitosan matrix

Brigita Tomšič; Špela Bajrič; Kaja Cergonja; Gracija Čepič; Ana Gerl; Egshig Ladislav Varga; Marina Panoska; Svjetlana Peulić; Jasna Skoko; Marija Gorjanc; Barbara Simončič

doi:10.14502/tekstilec.66.2023049

Authors

Brigita Tomšič University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Špela Bajrič University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Kaja Cergonja University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Gracija Čepič University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Ana Gerl University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Egshig Ladislav Varga University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Marina Panoska University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Svjetlana Peulić University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Jasna Skoko University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Marija Gorjanc University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Barbara Simončič University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6071-8829

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14502/tekstilec.66.2023049

Keywords:

titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, chitosan, coating, cotton, UV protection, antimicrobial activity, photocatalytic self-cleaning

Abstract

The use of nanomaterials to functionalise textiles offers new opportunities for chemical modification of textile fibres’ surfaces to achieve multifunctional protective properties. In this study, novel coatings were tailored on cotton fabric by embedding a mixture of TiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) of different molar ratios into a chitosan polymer matrix. The excitation energies of the TiO₂+ZnO composites generated in the coatings ranged from 3.20 eV to 3.25 eV, indicating that the photocatalytic performance of the functionalised cotton was driven by UV light. The presence of TiO₂+ZnO composites increased the UV protection factor (UPF) of the cotton fabric from 4.2 for the untreated sample to 15–21 for the functionalised samples. The UPF values of the coatings slightly decreased after repeated washing. The ZnO in the TiO₂+ZnO composites conferred biocidal activity to the coatings, which were resistant to washing at higher ZnO concentrations. In addition, the TiO₂ in the TiO₂+ZnO composites was responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic self-cleaning of the functionalised cotton, which was observed during the initial period of illumination at lower ZnO concentrations in the composite. The main advantage of these TiO₂+ZnO composite coatings is their multifunctionality, which cannot be provided by single-component TiO₂ or ZnO coatings. Moreover, these coatings have wide-ranging practical applications, as they were composed of commercially available nanomaterials and were applied using conventional pad–dry–cure equipment.

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