Chitosan–TiO$_2$–curcumin composite coatings: toward nature-inspired, protective and sustainable silk materials

Tomšič, Brigita (author), Bekjarova, Ljubica (author), Petrović, Ana (author), Poženel, Nika (author), Primožič, Ivi (author), Žagar, Zala (author), Kert, Mateja (author), Gorjanc, Marija (author), Golja, Barbara (author), Zorc, Matija (author), Jerman, Ivan (author), Pintar, Albin (author), Žagar, Ema (author), Simončič, Barbara (author)

The rational use of carbohydrate polymers as functional matrices for integrating inorganic and organic components remains a key challenge in developing sustainable multifunctional materials. Here, a process-oriented, bio-inspired strategy for fabricating a chitosan-centred multifunctional composite coating is presented. This approach uniquely combines plasma-assisted activation of the silk surface, chitosan immobilisation, and subsequent controlled in situ generation of TiO2 nanoparticles in the presence of curcumin, a naturally derived polyphenolic compound. The resulting chitosan/TiO2/curcumin composite system simultaneously imparts antibacterial, UV-shielding, and photocatalytic self-cleaning functions to the silk. Chitosan provides strong antimicrobial activity, maintaining robust bio-barrier antibacterial protection in the composite system and achieving over 99.5% inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli growth. Curcumin acts as a TiO2 photosensitiser and charge-transfer mediator, suppressing electron-hole recombination and enabling efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity, as confirmed by accelerated Rhodamine B dye degradation and effective coffee stain removal. Complementary UV absorption by TiO2 (UV-B) and curcumin (UV-A) delivers broad-spectrum UV protection with a UV protection factor of 32.1. Overall, this work demonstrates a distinct carbohydrate polymer-driven fabrication paradigm for engineering high-performance textiles with integrated multifunctional protective properties.

• Language: English
• Keywords: chitosan-based composites, bio-based compounds, multifunctional textile, antimicrobial, UV protection, self-cleaning
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: NTF - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 19 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 383, art. 125341
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-182027
• UDC: 677
• ISSN on article: 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125341
• COBISS.SI-ID: 276046851
• Publication date in RUL: 23.04.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Carbohydrate polymers
• Shortened title: Carbohydr. polym.
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 1879-1344
• COBISS.SI-ID: 23112709

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: nanokompoziti na podlagi hitozana, spojine na biološki osnovi, bioosnovane spojine, fečfunkcionalne tekstilije, protimikrobnost, UV zaščita, samočistilnost