Aerosol Route to Antibacterial Nanosilver Coating of Cotton Fabrics

Abstract

The paper describes a gas phase process for the preparation of cotton fabrics coated with silver nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents. Silver nanoparticles are synthesized by means of atmospheric pressure electrical discharges (spark discharge and glow discharge) in pure inert gases, and the aerosols are passed through cotton fabric samples, where nanoparticles deposit. The particle size distribution of the aerosols is measured online during synthesis. Also, the cristallinity, size and morphology of the silver particles are analyzed. The mean size of the primary particles of silver varies from 4 nm to 18 nm, depending upon the type of discharge, the nature and flow rate of the gas. The bactericidal activity of the cotton samples doped with silver nanoparticles is assessed following the ISO 20743 method. All cotton samples show significant bactericidal property, although it degrades with increasing primary particle size and particle agglomeration. This purely physical aerosol route is a promising sustainable method for nanocoating of textiles.