Long-Term Antimicrobial Performance of Textiles Coated with ZnO and TiO2 Nanoparticles in a Tropical Climate

Abstract

This paper reports the results of the large-scale field testing of composite materials with antibacterial properties in a tropical climate. The composite materials, based on a cotton fabric with a coating of metal oxide nanoparticles (TiO2 and/or ZnO), were produced using high-power ultrasonic treatment. The antibacterial properties of the materials were studied in laboratory tests on solid and liquid nutrient media using bacteria of different taxonomic groups (Escherichia coli, Chromobacterium violaceum, Pseudomonas chlororaphis). On solid media, the coatings were able to achieve a >50% decrease in the number of bacteria. The field tests were carried out in a tropical climate, at the Climate test station “Hoa Lac” (Hanoi city, Vietnam). The composite materials demonstrated long-term antibacterial activity in the tropical climate: the number of microorganisms remained within the range of 1–3% in comparison with the control sample for the duration of the experiment (3 months). Ten of the microorganisms that most frequently occurred on the surface of the coated textiles were identified. The bacteria were harmless, while the fungi were pathogenic and contributed to fabric deterioration. Tensile strength deterioration was also studied, with the fabrics coated with metal oxides demonstrating a better preservation of their mechanical characteristics over time, (there was a 42% tensile strength decrease for the reference non-coated sample and a 21% decrease for the sample with a ZnO + CTAB coating).

Impact of green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles for treating dry rot in potato tubers

“…5C). Additionally, this study's elemental percent of ZnONPs matches up to other research (Veselova et al 2022).…”

Antimicrobial Nanomaterials: A Review

“…Since ZnO and TiO 2 have no impact on human cells, NP-based wound care solutions utilizing these two oxides are relatively new compared to conventional materials and are safe to employ as antibacterial agents. Veselova et al investigated the long-term antibacterial efficacy of textiles coated with ZnO and TiO 2 nanoparticles in a tropical environment [61]. Cotton bandages containing Ag-and ZnO-NPs and mixed Ag/ZnO-NPs show antibacterial activity and high resistance to Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa [62].…”

An in-vitro study of antibacterial, cytocompatibility and physicochemical properties of nanoarchitecture TiO2-ZnO

“…Another study by Veselova et. al. showed that TiO2/ZnO composites are capable of only reducing up to 20, 50 and 50 % of C. violaceum, E. coli and P. chlororaphis, respectively, in outdoor conditions [26]. The inhibition capacity of TiO2/ZnO composites were demonstrated to be more ineffective in liquid media conditions where the decrease in the number of CFU compared with the reference sample is less than 10% in both C. violaceum and E. coli.…”