Recent progress in the microencapsulation of essential oils for sustainable functional textiles

Textile consumers are now highly concerned about health and environmental safety while choosing commodities. This could be accomplished by using clean and green textile auxiliaries and finishes during textile processing. Essential oils are used mainly in food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetics and textile industries to impart fragrance and bioactivity. It is useful to develop a deeper understanding of their chemistry and biological properties for value-added applications. The present review focuses on various sources of essential oils and their encapsulation with particular attention to textile applications. Due to their volatile and fragile nature, the essential oils may need some protection layers, such as encapsulation in suitable shell materials, thus allowing sustained release under desirable physiological conditions. The encapsulated essential oils find diverse applications in textiles for aroma, antimicrobial, cosmetic, medical and mosquito-repellent products. The literature highlights a need for more efficient and effective microencapsulation and application techniques for essential oils to develop intelligent functional textiles.