Highly efficient and durable antimicrobial nanocomposite textiles

Abstract

Healthcare associated infections cause millions of hospitalizations and cost billions of dollars every year. A potential solution to address this problem is to develop antimicrobial textile for healthcare fabrics (hospital bedding, gowns, lab coats, etc.). Metal nanoparticle-coated textile has been proven to possess antimicrobial properties but have not been adopted by healthcare facilities due to risks of leaching and subsequent loss of function, toxicity, and environmental pollution. This work presents the development and testing of antimicrobial zinc nanocomposite textiles, fabricated using a novel Crescoating process. In this process, zinc nanoparticles are grown in situ within the bulk of different natural and synthetic fabrics to form safe and durable nanocomposites. The zinc nanocomposite textiles show unprecedented microbial reduction of 99.99% (4 log₁₀) to 99.9999% (6 log₁₀) within 24 h on the most common Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and fungal pathogens. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity remains intact even after 100 laundry cycles, demonstrating the high longevity and durability of the textile. Independent dermatological evaluation confirmed that the novel textile is non-irritating and hypoallergenic.

Figure 1

Comparison of (A) conventional dip-coating process with (B) thermal Crescoating technology. (A) Wet synthesis of nanoparticles by chemical reduction (1), dip-coating of the textile in the nanoparticle (2), followed by washing and drying (3). (B) Impregnation of the textile in precursor solution (1), Thermal reduction by heating the textile at 100 °C (2), followed by washing and drying (3).

Figure 2

SEM images of plastic nanocomposites produced with “in situ growth” process. (A) Zinc-polyurethane nanocomposite film. The blue arrows show two pieces of the nanocomposite thin film. Image amplification at the film cross-section shows the presence of zinc nanoparticles inside the film. (B) Zinc-nylon nanocomposite showing zinc nanoparticles embedded with the nylon fibers. (C) Silver-polyester/cotton nanocomposite.

Figure 3

Versatility of the in situ nanoparticle growth process using different nanoparticles on different textiles. nSe: nanoselenium, nb: nanoboron, nCe: nanocerium, nFe: nanoiron, nAg, nanosilver.

Figure 4

SEM images of nanoparticles harvested from zinc treated polyester fabric.

Figure 5

Selected photos of cell culture plates used in antimicrobial testing via cell counting for samples eluted after 24 h with 10⁵X dilution.