HOMOGENEOUS COATINGS OF TITANIUM DIOXIDE NANOPARTICLES ON CORONA-TREATED COTTON FABRIC FOR ENHANCED SELF-CLEANING AND ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES

Abstract

This study discusses the effect of corona pretreatment and subsequent loading of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on self-cleaning and antibacterial properties of cellulosic fabric. The corona-pretreated cellulosic fabrics were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray mapping techniques revealed that layers of the titania deposited on cellulose fibers were more uniform than the sample without pre-corona treatment. The self-cleaning property of treated fabrics was evaluated through discoloring dye stain under sunlight irradiation. The antibacterial activities of the samples against two common pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were also assessed. The results indicated that self-cleaning and antibacterial properties of the corona-pretreated fabrics were superior compared to the sample treated with TiO2 alone. Moreover, using corona pretreatment leads to samples with good washing fastness.