Natural fiber products, particularly cotton fabrics, have long been favored for their exceptional properties, such as comfort, wearability, flexibility, water absorption, and biodegradability. However, their susceptibility to bacterial growth, leading to discoloration, odor, and potential health hazards, limits their applications in medicine, hygiene, and hospitals. This study addresses the increasing demand for antibacterial cotton textiles by immobilizing rationally designed dicationic ionic liquids (DCILs) with efficient antibacterial activity. These bisimidazolium-based DCILs bear distinct functionalities such as 2-hydroxybutyl (DCIL-1), 2-hydroxy-3-isopropoxypropyl (DCIL-2), 2-hydroxy-2-phenylethyl (DCIL-3), and 2-hydroxy-3-phenoxypropyl (DCIL-4). These DCILs were immobilized on the cotton fabric surfaces through a thiol–ene click reaction, and analyses (ATR-FTIR, EDX, Elemental mapping, and TGA/DTG) confirmed the successful modifications. The performed bacterial growth kinetics, cell viability, and CFU tests, along with morphological investigation using SEM images, unveiled the outstanding antibacterial activity of the prepared Cotton-S-DCILs. Among them, the Cotton-S-DCIL-1 with 2-hydroxybutyl substitution showed the highest activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), with an eradication rate of >98%. Results demonstrate a rapid and sustained reduction of live bacteria cells within 8 to 24 h of exposure to the Cotton-S-DCILs. The hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity against human cells confirmed the biocompatibility of Cotton-S-DCILs. This innovative ionic liquid technology could overcome current limitations, aligning with the demand for eco-friendly materials in antibacterial textile engineering.
Hassanpour et al. (Mon,) studied this question.