Tailoring Heat Transfer and Bactericidal Response in Multifunctional Cotton Composites

Through the execution of scientific innovations, smart materials are shaping the future of technology by interacting and responding to changes in our environment. To make this a successful reality, proper component selection, synthesis procedures, and functional active agents must converge in practical and resource-efficient procedures to lay the foundations for a profitable and sustainable industry. Here we show how the reaction time, temperature, and surface stabilizer concentration impact the most promising functional properties in a cotton-based fabric coated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs@cotton), i.e., the thermal and bactericidal response. The coating quality was characterized and linked to the selected synthesis parameters and correlated by a parallel description of proof of concept experiments for the differential heat transfer (conversion and dissipation properties) and the bactericidal response tested against reference bacteria and natural bacterial populations (from a beach, cenote, and swamp of the Yucatan Peninsula). The quantification of functional responses allowed us to establish the relationship between (i) the size and shape of the AgNPs, (ii) the collective response of their agglomerates, and (iii) the thermal barrier role of a surface modifier as PVP. The procedures and evaluations in this work enable a spectrum of synthesis coordinates that facilitate the formulation of application-modulated fabrics, with grounded examples reflected in smart packaging, smart clothing, and smart dressing.

Automated summary

Through scientific innovations, smart materials interact and respond to changes in the environment, shaping the future of technology. Component selection, synthesis procedures, and functional agents are crucial for a profitable and sustainable industry. This study investigates how reaction time, temperature, and surface stabilizer concentration affect the thermal and bactericidal response of a cotton-based fabric coated with silver nanoparticles. The results provide insights into the relationship between AgNPs properties and their functional responses, enabling the formulation of application-modulated fabrics.