Preparation of Copper Nanoparticles Coated Cotton Fabrics with Durable Antibacterial Properties

When copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) were applied as an antimicrobial agent to finish cotton fabrics, there are two issues should be solved: the oxidization and the weak adsorbability onto cotton fiber surface. In the present work, we developed a new method that can achieve both immobilization and protection of the Cu NPs at the same time. As an effective binder, thioglycolic acid (TGA) was covalently linked to cotton fiber surface via an esterification with the hydroxyl groups of cellulose, then Cu NPs were introduced on the fabric surface in the presence of a protective reagent, citric acid. Due to the doubled stabilization acts of TGA and citric acid, the Cu NPs immobilized on the fabric surface showed an excellent antibacterial effect and outstanding laundering durability. Even after 50 consecutive laundering tests, the modified cotton fabrics still showed satisfactory antibacterial ability against both S. aureus and E. coli, which the bacterial reduction rates are all higher than 96 %. It is believed that this methodology has potential applications in a wide variety of textile productions such as sportswear, socks, and medical textiles.