In situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles on alkali-treated cotton fabrics

Cotton fabrics were alkali-treated with sodium hydroxide at different concentrations in the range from 1 M to 6 M in order to investigate the effect of alkali treatment on the formation of silver nanoparticles. Alkali-treated fabrics were dipped into the silver nitrate solution followed by chemical reduction, which caused in situ formation of silver nanoparticles on the surface of fabrics. As-prepared fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis and also antimicrobial test was carried out. In addition, the color variation, antibacterial durability, and mechanical properties of the fabrics were assessed. The considerable effect of alkali pre-treatment on loading and stabilizing silver nanoparticles was demonstrated. Fabrics treated at higher sodium hydroxide concentrations have higher silver content. Silver nanoparticles are homogeneous and evenly distributed on fibers with high surface coverage. Treated fabrics exhibit strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, even after 10 laundering cycles. This procedure is facile, cost-effective and versatile and provides a simple route to manufacturing of cotton textiles with high silver content.