Sustainable in situ synthesis of silver/titanium dioxide/organofunctional trialkoxysilane nanocomposite coatings on cotton fabric to tailor superior multifunctional protective properties

Rashid, Mohammad Mamunur (author), Simončič, Barbara (author), Zorc, Matija (author), Čelan Korošin, Nataša (author), Jerman, Ivan (author), Tomšič, Brigita (author)

Multifunctional properties are crucial for the production of high-quality technical textiles. In this study, a cotton fabric with simultaneously superior UV-protection, self-sterilisation, photocatalytic self-cleaning and flame retardant properties was produced using a sol–gel/hydrothermal process, in which titanium(IV) isopropoxide (TTIP) as a titanium dioxide (TiO$_2$) precursor was combined for the first time with mixtures of organofunctional trialkoxysiloxanes, i.e., 3-(trihydroxysilyl)propyl methylphosphonate (TPMP) as a P-based flame retardant and dimethyloctadecyl [3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ammonium chloride (SiQAC) or aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as the antimicrobial, biobarrier-forming precursors. The latter was used in two increased concentrations of APTES1 and APTES2. A sol–gel/hydrothermal approach was employed with a small amount of silver nitrate (AgNO$_3$) added during the hydrothermal treatment to produce Ag-loaded TiO$_2$. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP MS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed the successful functionalisation of TiO$_2$ by TPMP, SiQAC and APTES through the formation of Si–O–Ti bonds and the well-dispersed Ag/TiO$_2$/TPMP/SiQAC, Ag/TiO$_2$/TPMP/APTES1 and Ag/TiO$_2$/TPMP/APTES2 coatings on the surface of the cotton fabric. The type of biobarrier-forming precursor significantly influenced the formation of the Ag species after the Ag loading of TiO$_2$. The presence of SiQAC induced the formation of AgCl crystals, while APTES controlled the formation of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), which was more pronounced at the lower APTES1 concentration. The interactions between the coating components significantly influenced the functional protection performance, with the highest level of cooperation achieved in the Ag/TiO$_2$/TPMP/SiQAC and Ag/TiO$_2$/TPMP/APTES1 coatings, which exhibited the best overall multifunctionality, albeit with certain drawbacks. While the Ag/TiO$_2$/TPMP/APTES1 coating provided excellent UV protection for the cotton, this was only improved by the Ag/TiO$_2$/TPMP/SiQAC coating. At the same time, the Ag/TiO$_2$/TPMP/APTES1 coating impaired the development of the char barrier by TPMP, which is due to the formation of Ag NPs. Nevertheless, both coatings showed high photocatalytic self-cleaning performance, complete self-sterilisation activity and improved burning behaviour.

• Language: English
• Keywords: cotton fabric, titanium dioxide, TiO$_2$, silver loading, Ag, organofunctional trialkoxysilanes, surface functionalization, multifunctional properties
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: NTF - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering; FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 16 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 49, art. 104447
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-156343
• UDC: 677
• ISSN on article: 2468-0230
• DOI: 10.1016/j.surfin.2024.104447
• COBISS.SI-ID: 195811075
• Publication date in RUL: 21.05.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Surfaces and interfaces
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 2468-0230
• COBISS.SI-ID: 526516249

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: bombažna tkanina, titanov dioksid, TiO$_2$, srebro, Ag, organofunkcionalni trialkoksisilani, funkcionalizacija površine, večfunkcionalne lastnosti