Comparative Assessment of the Antibacterial Property of Cotton Fabric Coated with the Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Chemical and Green Approach

Worldwide, increasing pollution and bacterial infections are posing a serious risk to human well-being and society. Clothing and textiles are the major pathways for the transmission and aggravation of infectious diseases. Thus, imparting antibacterial properties to the textiles is perceived with great interest. With this motivation, this study aims to fabricate durable antibacterial cotton fabrics to protect the wearer from pathogenic microorganisms. Herein, the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) via chemical (ZOCM) and green (ZOGM) routes, which were eventually applied onto the cotton fabric using the padding-drying-curing technique. The synthesized ZnO NPs and ZnO-deposited cotton fabrics were analyzed by various characterization techniques. Including UV–vis, FTIR, BET, XRD, SEM-EDAX, and TGA analysis. Additionally, the antibacterial effectiveness, washing durability, and mechanical properties of finished cotton (ZOCMC, ZOGMC) and uncoated fabric were investigated. The results indicate that ZOGM and ZOGMC show higher antibacterial efficiency than ZOCM and ZOCMC. Moreover, TGA analysis reveals the amount of ZnO loading before and its retention after multiple washing cycles. ZOGMC exhibits good adherence of NPs and better washing durability than ZOCMC. This study underscores the significance of environmentally friendly green synthesis methods for producing ZnO NPs, showcasing the potential for advancement in healthcare textiles.