Decoration of Cotton Fiber with Biosynthesized Ag/ZnO Nanocomposite for Durable Antibacterial Textile

The present study aimed to develop a green synthesis method for the fabrication of Ag NPs, ZnO NPs, and Ag/ZnO nanocomposite using Achillea milfolium plant extract with antibacterial activities. Both growth inhibition and minimum inhibitory concentration assays were used to assess the antibacterial activity of nanostructures against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus pathogens. According to the obtained data, Ag/ZnO nanocomposite in 2 mM concentration showed the most antibacterial activity against E. coli with an inhibition zone of 24 +/- 0.58 mm. It was also revealed that the Ag/ZnO nanocomposite showed better antibacterial activity in comparison with pure Ag and ZnO nanoparticles. Ag/ZnO nanocomposite-loaded cotton fiber showed great antibacterial activity (more than 95% reduction in S. aureus population) even after 20 cycles of standard washing, proving the stability durability of the nanostructures on the textile. The fabricated textile loaded with Ag/ZnO nanocomposite has potential applications in the production of antibacterial textiles.

Automated summary

The study developed a green synthesis method using Achillea milfolium plant extract to fabricate Ag NPs, ZnO NPs, and Ag/ZnO nanocomposite with antibacterial activities. Results showed that the Ag/ZnO nanocomposite exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against E. coli, and the textile loaded with Ag/ZnO nanocomposite maintained stable antibacterial effects even after 20 cycles of standard washing.