Enhanced properties of silk fabric through immobilization of gold and titanium dioxide nanoparticles

Enhanced functions of silk fabric were achieved by complex coating with both gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs). AuNPs were coated onto the silk fabric via in-situ synthesis, which was followed by loading TiO 2 NPs with assistance of polyethyleneimine (PEI). AuNPs imparted vivid color to silk fabric because of its localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), which maintained after the further assembly of TiO 2 NPs. The surface morphology and chemical structure of the functionalized silk fabrics were characterized in detail. The AuNP colored silk fabrics with TiO 2 NPs exhibited better light color fastness than the traditional dye colored silk with TiO 2 NPs. Synergistic effect between AuNPs and TiO 2 NPs endowed silk fabric with enhanced antibacterial property against Escherichia coli ( E. coli ). More importantly, AuNPs greatly improved the photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 NPs on silk fabric for decomposing contaminates. The assembly of functional nanoparticles on fibrous materials provides a potentially facile and effective strategy to achieve versatile fabrics in textile industry.