ZnO nanorods-grafted durable antibacterial and hydrophobic cotton fabrics by a new grafting protocol

Abstract

• Synthesis and functionalization of ZnO nanorods by hydrothermal technique. • Functionalized ZnO nanorods were grafted on cotton by new synthetic protocol. • A durable antimicrobial and hydrophobic cotton surface was obtained. This work reports a new method for the preparation of durable antibacterial and hydrophobic nanotextile by covalent grafting of zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) on cotton. The method involves synthesis and post-synthesis functionalization of the ZnO NRs with amino (–NH 2 ) groups followed by their grafting with hydroxyl groups on the cotton by reliable and effective condensation protocol. The ZnO NRs grafted cotton fabric exhibited excellent antibacterial efficacy against E-coli bacteria and showed a static water contact angle (WCA) of 121°. The covalent grafting of nanomaterials with antibacterial and hydrophobic properties on various textile substrates guarantees durability of the resulting nanotextile. Threfore, this report is a significant advancement towards the development of durable antibacterial as well as hydrophobic nanotextiles.