Sustainable and cost-effective functionalization of textile surfaces with Ag-doped TiO$_2$/polysiloxane hybrid nanocomposite for UV protection, antibacterial and self-cleaning propertiesRashid, Mohammad Mamunur (Avtor) Tomšič, Brigita (Avtor) Simončič, Barbara (Avtor) Jerman, Ivan (Avtor) Štular, Danaja (Avtor) Zorc, Matija (Avtor) cotton fabricstitanium dioxideTiO$_2$silver dopingAgantibacterial activityUV protectionself-cleaningIn this work, TiO$_2$ was incorporated into the surface of cotton fabrics by an in situ sol–gel/hydrothermal approach. Dimethyloctadecyl [3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl] ammonium chloride (SiQAC) was added as a bio-barrier Si precursor to enhance the synergistic effect/binding of TiO$_2$ to the surface of cotton fabric. A small amount of silver nitrate (AgNO$_3$) was added to produce Ag-doped TiO$_2$-coated fabric during hydrothermal treatment. The treated cotton fabric samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) to determine the surface morphology, chemical composition, chemical bonding and crystal structure, respectively. These results confirmed the successful application of well-dispersed TiO$_2$, Ag and SiQAC on the surface of cotton fabric. The cotton fabric functionalized with TiO$_2$ + SiQAC + Ag nanocomposite exhibited superior antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, very good UV protection and excellent self-cleaning performance, which were maintained even after repeated washings. The wash resistance of the newly developed TiO$_2$-based hybrid nanocoating was attributed to the formation of the SiQAC polysiloxane matrix, which served as an anchoring site for the Ag-doped TiO$_2$ through the formation of Si–O–Ti bonds. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO$_2$ in the coating was attributed to the formation of the Ag/AgCl/TiO$_2$ heterostructure, which is promising for the surface and interface engineering of TiO$_2$-modified fabric.20222022-09-06 14:09:10Članek v reviji139726sl