Simultaneous dyeing and functional finishing of cotton fabric using reactive dyes doped with TiO2 nano-sol

Abstract

A new approach for simultaneous salt-free dyeing and functional finishing, i.e. UV protection and antibacterial properties of cotton fabric were studied. In this study, cotton fabric was cationized with 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl trimethylammonium chloride. Two types of reactive dyes (CI Reactive red 120 and CI Reactive yellow 145) were doped with different amounts (0.035, 0.053, and 0.07 mol) of TiO2 nano-sol by sol–gel method and applied on cationized cotton fabric using pad–dry–steam method without the addition of salt. The chemical and morphological structures of the dyed fabrics were characterized by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffractometry. Different properties were investigated such as color strength, fixation, fastness properties (washing, rubbing, and light), UV blocking, antibacterial activity, and tensile strength. Samples dyed with titanium dyeing solutions exhibited better antibacterial efficacy and durable UV protection, with minimal impact on color depth and tensile strength compared with the samples dyed with commercial reactive dyes.