Effect of various shapes of zinc oxide nanoparticles on cotton fabric for UV-blocking and anti-bacterial properties

Various shapes of ZnO — multi-petals, rod and spherical — were prepared and then applied on cotton fabric for UV-blocking and anti-bacterial properties. The ZnO particles were investigated by XRD and SEM. The as-prepared suspension was applied onto cotton fabrics via the pad-dry-cure process at 150 °C. The characteristics of the fabric coating were investigated by SEM, XRD and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The UV-blocking effectiveness was measured with a UV-Vis spectrophotometer whilst the antibacterial activity was determined using the AATCC 147 method. The results of XRD and SEM on the ZnO powders show that we can produce various shapes of ZnO. The investigation by SEM and AAS clearly revealed that ZnO was effectively deposited on the cotton surface and that the adhesion was retained after washing ten cycles. The sphericals-shaped ZnO and multi-petals shaped ZnO coated fabrics show excellent UV-blocking properties. All treated samples showed good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus Aureus. The shape of ZnO shows no considerable effect on antibacterial properties.