Biocidal effect and durability of nano-TiO2 coated textiles to combat hospital acquired infections

Abstract

While antimicrobial textiles have received considerable interest and attention from both the scientific community and general consumers, there have been very few studies investigating the durability of such antimicrobial activities. In this study, we describe the modification of the surface of textiles that were modified with commercially available titanium dioxide (TiO₂) powder (P25 Aeroxide®, Degussa™) using a sonochemical technique. The antibacterial activity of TiO₂ can improve textile quality and effectively reduce the rate of infections acquired in hospitals. Medical garments produced from such fabrics may improve the patient's recovery and revolutionize the textile market. This modification imparts biocidal properties to these textiles, which were then optimized to acquire properties of the textile. Samples were washed for 30 cycles at three different temperatures (40 °C, 60 °C and 90 °C) to test the durability of the bonding of the nanoparticles to textiles and the effectiveness was examined with respect to their antimicrobial activity against hospital pathogens: Escherichia coli, MRSA and Candida albicans. Sample's surfaces were examined by a Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) for surface imaging. Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) was used as a technique to quantify the Ti present on the fabric. The best durability of TiO₂ on textiles was best retained after washing at 40 °C. From an environmental point of view, the release of nanomaterial from textiles was acceptable against currently available benchmarks. We have investigated the adhesion of nanoparticles (NPs) to the textile surface. Medical garments, bed linens and upholstery produced from such fabrics may improve hospital hygiene against antibiotic resistant superbugs and help reduce hospital acquired infections.