Antibacterial and self-cleaning properties of cotton fabric treated with TiO2/Pt

This study explores a new nanocomposite to produce a cotton fabric with superior self-cleaning and antibacterial properties. The platinum loaded nano titanium dioxide (nanocomposite) has been synthesized through wet impregnation using Pt precursor. The nanocomposite has been applied on cotton fabric and the fabric characteristics such as self-cleaning performance, antibacterial and UV blocking activities are examined. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray mapping are utilized to characterize the surface morphology and elemental analysis of the treated cotton fabrics. The chemical composition of the nanocomposite has been investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and crystallinity of coatings by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. Whiteness index, tensile strength, flexibility and wettability of treated fabrics are also assessed. Results show that the photocatalytic self-cleaning performance of the cotton treated with TiO2/Pt nanocomposite is superior to the cotton treated with nano-titanium dioxide alone. Also, adding platinum to nano-TiO2 shows the most promising antibacterial activities against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria.