The Oligomer Polyacrylic Acid Effect on Immobilization of Silver Nanoparticles onto Cotton Fabric to Achieve a Durably Antibacterial Function

Aiming to a durably antibacterial function, stable immobilization of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on cotton textiles still represents challenging in textile industry. In the present work, by grafting oligomeric polyacrylic acid (PAA) onto cotton fiber surfaces, we effectively prepared the Ag NPs with controllable size on the fiber surface, which are of average size of 16.43 nm, and therefore achieved a desirable antibacterial durability. The oligomer PAA binder can give the modified fabrics with a remarkable antibacterial durability against washing, as the bacterial reduction rates against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli remained over 90 % even after 50 laundering cycles. Moreover, this graft to approach using oligomeric PAA shows merits in maintaining the desired cotton properties such as flexibility, water absorptivity and vapor permeability. Finally, this finishing process ensures a reliable safety for human skin.