A robust friendly nano-encapsulated plant extract in hydrogel Tragacanth gum on cotton fabric through one single step in-situ synthesis and fabrication

Abstract

Encapsulation of various materials on textiles is an interesting task because of the controlled release and higher stability. Here, a robust cotton fabric was prepared through novel simultaneous treatment and nano-encapsulation of Chamomile extract using Tragacanth gum (TG) as the wall material and an environmentally friendly binder with hydrogel properties. The nano-encapsulated and treated cotton (NE&TC) fabric was characterized by FESEM, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectrophotometry, which indicated the successful encapsulation of the plant extract within the TG and material and linkage on the cotton fabric. The peaks at 1736 and 1777 cm−1 related to the TG and Chamomile extract in the FT-IR spectrum and a strong peak around 270–400 nm in the UV-Vis spectrum of the NE&TC fabric confirmed the nano-encapsulation and treatment. The prepared NE&TC fabric indicated a relatively good washing and rubbing durability with reasonable release behavior. The DSC pattern of the NE&TC fabric showed a peak at 162 °C confirming the presence of Chamomile extract in the nanocapsules. This article proposes a novel method for the application of TG as a natural polymer on cotton fabric for obtaining multifunction purposes including in-situ synthesis of encapsulated Chamomile extract, stabilization of nanocapsules and introduction of hydrogel properties.