A review of plant-mediated synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles for self-cleaning textiles

PurposeThe textile industry is evolving toward nanotechnology, which provides materials with self-cleaning properties. This paper aims to provide a thorough explanation of the green synthesis and mechanism of ZnO nanoparticles, with prospective applications of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in self-cleaning textiles. Design/methodology/approachThis review introduces a green mechanism for the synthesis of ZnO NPs using plant extracts, their self-cleaning properties and the mechanisms of physical, chemical and biological self-cleaning actions for textile applications. FindingsZnO NPs are among the several nanoparticles that are beneficial for self-cleaning textiles because of their exceptional physical and chemical properties, although review publications addressing the use of ZnO NPs in textiles for self-cleaning are uncommon. These results indicate that the plant-synthesized ZnO NPs display excellent biological, physical and chemical self-cleaning properties, the mechanism of which involves photocatalysis, surface roughness and interactions between ZnO NPs and bacterial surfaces. Originality/valueNanoformulations of plant-synthesized ZnO have been reviewed to achieve promising self-cleaning textile properties and have not been reviewed earlier.