Author(s)

Mohamed Gouda, Abdullah Ibrahim Aljaafari

Collage of Science, King Faisal University, Al-Hassah, Saudi Arabia.
Collage of Science, King Faisal University, Al-Hassah, Saudi Arabia; Textile Research Division, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticle was synthesized by the reduction of titanium tetrachloride using borohydride, water as solvent, and polyvinyl-pyrrolidone as stabilizer. The average size of nano-TiO₂ is estimated to be 5 - 10 nm using a transmission electron microscope (TEM); this was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Nano-TiO₂ was impregnated into cotton fabric to impart multifunctional properties and this was confirmed by scanning electron microscope and scanning electron microscope coupled with high energy distribution X-Ray (SEM-EDX). The TiO₂ nanoparticles loaded cotton fabrics showed excellent antibacterial activity against two representative bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive) 96.6% and Klebsiella pneumonia (Gram negative) 95.2%. Also, TiO₂ nanoparticles enhanced the self-cleaning and the protection of cotton fabrics against UV radiation in comparison with the untreated cotton fabrics. The TiO₂ nanoparticles were durable in-situ cotton fabrics even after 20 laundering wash cycles.

Cellulosic Cotton Fabric; TiO₂-Nanoparticles; UV-Protection; Self-Cleaning; Antibacterial Properties

Gouda, M. and Aljaafari, A. (2012) Augmentation of Multifunctional Properties of Cellulosic Cotton Fabric Using Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles. Advances in Nanoparticles, 1, 29-36. doi: 10.4236/anp.2012.13005.