Durable antibacterial and UV protective properties of cellulose fabric functionalized with Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite during dyeing with reactive dyes

The cellulose fabrics made from 100 % cotton with antibacterial and UV protective properties were successfully created by loading of Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite during and after dyeing with yellow, red and blue reactive dye. Blank dyeing (dyeing with all chemicals except dye) was performed to show that reactive dyes have an ability to increase the adsorption and adhesion of Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite on cotton fabrics. The colour of the samples before and after washing and exposure to artificial light was measured by reflectance spectroscopy. The presence of nanocomposite on samples was confirmed by scanning electron microscope. The increased adsorption capacity of cotton towards Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite due to the presence of reactive dyes was confirmed by measuring the quantity of silver using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. The same samples showed excellent UV protective properties with UV protection factor (UPF 50+), and excellent antibacterial properties against E. coli and S. aureus. Due to a good adhesion of nanocomposite on samples where loading of nanocomposite and dyeing with reactive dye was performed simultaneously, the samples retained their excellent protective properties after repetitive washing cycles.