Soil Biodegradation Resistance of Cotton Fiber Doped with Interior and Exterior Silver Nanoparticles

Abstract

Engineering fibers with nanomaterials is an effective way to modify their properties and responses to external stimuli. In this study, we doped cotton fibers with silver nanoparticles, both on the surface (126 ± 17 nm) and throughout the fiber cross section (18 ± 4 nm), and examined the resistance to soil biodegradation. A reagent-free one-pot treatment of a raw cotton fabric, where noncellulosic constituents of the raw cotton fiber and starch sizing served as reducing agents, produced silver nanoparticles with a total concentration of 11 g/kg. In a soil burial study spanning 16 weeks, untreated cotton underwent a sequential degradation processfibrillation, fractionation, and mergingcorresponding to the length of the soil burial period, whereas treated cotton did not exhibit significant degradation. The remarkable biodegradation resistance of the treated cotton was attributed to the antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles, as demonstrated through a test involving the soil-borne fungus Aspergillus flavus. The nonlinear loss behavior of silver from the treated cotton suggests that nanoparticle depletion in the soil depends on their location, with interior nanoparticles proving durable against environmental exposure.

Eco-Friendly Textile-Based Wearable Humidity Sensor with Multinode Wireless Connectivity for Healthcare Applications

“…The degradation of cellulose fabric in soil is attributed to the presence of fungi and cellulolytic bacteria. Such microorganisms secrete an enzyme that leads to the cleavage of glycosidic bonds or can hydrolyze the β-1,4-glycosidic linkages . The degradation of uncoated cotton fabric was faster compared to the fabsil-treated sample due to the time taken by moisture to remove the coating that allows the microorganisms to act on the cotton fabric.…”

“…Such microorganisms secrete an enzyme that leads to the cleavage of glycosidic bonds or can hydrolyze the β-1,4-glycosidic linkages. 26 The degradation of uncoated cotton fabric was faster compared to the fabsil-treated sample due to the time taken by moisture to remove the coating that allows the microorganisms to act on the cotton fabric. The obtained results indicate that even though the fabsil treatment of the cotton/textile sample was still susceptible to biodegradation, the environmentally friendly nature of the developed humidity sensors paves the way toward curtailing the e-waste issue.…”

“…Humidity sensors have drawn significant attention from the scientific community owing to their applicability in multiple application areas including the healthcare sector, agricultural science, environmental control, and various biomedical processes. − Humidity sensors based on different transduction mechanisms, such as resistance, capacitance, field effect transistors (FETs), and optical fiber have been long established. − Among them, resistive humidity sensors are the most attractive thanks to their low fabrication cost, easy device integration and signal acquisition, cost-effectiveness, easy manufacturing, and low power consumption. ,, Further, humidity sensors based on flexible and wearable electronics can play an important role, especially for personal and wearable healthcare applications. , To attain favorable flexibility, miscellaneous ductile materials such as poly­(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly­(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), paper, and poly­(ethylene naphthalate) (PEN) have been extensively explored and utilized to develop wearable humidity sensors. ,− However, limited breathability and hygroscopicity properties of polymer film-based sensors significantly lower their comfort and sensitivity; whereas, vulnerability and wetness wrinkles are the major shortcomings of paper-based sensors . Recently, textile (cotton) has been explored as an appropriate substitute for the development of wearable electronic sensing devices. − Their remarkable properties like wearability, excellent flexibility, knittability, superior mechanical compliance, and conformability make them extremely suitable for wearable sensing technologies. ,, Further, owing to their structural, hygroscopic, breathable, and biodegradable properties, the textiles seem highly suitable for developing humidity sensors along with promoting a shift toward eco-friendly electronics. , …”

“… 8 , 13 , 20 Further, owing to their structural, hygroscopic, breathable, and biodegradable properties, the textiles seem highly suitable for developing humidity sensors along with promoting a shift toward eco-friendly electronics. 21 , 26 …”