ZnO nanorods-grafted durable antibacterial and hydrophobic cotton fabrics by a new grafting protocol

This work reports a new method for the preparation of durable antibacterial and hydrophobic nanotextile by covalent grafting of zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) on cotton. The method involves synthesis and post-synthesis functionalization of the ZnO NRs with amino (-NH2) groups followed by their grafting with hydroxyl groups on the cotton by reliable and effective condensation protocol. The ZnO NRs grafted cotton fabric exhibited excellent antibacterial efficacy against E-coli bacteria and showed a static water contact angle (WCA) of 121. The co-valent grafting of nanomaterials with antibacterial and hydrophobic properties on various textile substrates guarantees durability of the resulting nanotextile. Threfore, this report is a significant advancement towards the development of durable antibacterial as well as hydrophobic nanotextiles.

Automated summary

This study presents a new method for preparing durable antibacterial and hydrophobic nanotextiles by covalently grafting zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) onto cotton. The resulting nanotextile exhibited excellent antibacterial efficacy and a static water contact angle (WCA) of 121. Covalently grafting nanomaterials with antibacterial and hydrophobic properties onto textile substrates ensures the durability of the nanotextile.