Antibacterial and Self-cleaning of ZIF-8/67-Ag in-situ Growth on Cotton Fabrics via ROS-metal Ion Synergy

Multifunctional cotton fabric holds significant promise for domestic and healthcare applications. A key challenge remains developing sustainable fabrication routes for mechanically durable cotton textiles integrating intrinsic and photothermally amplified antibacterial functions. Herein, we prepared ZIF-8/67-loaded Ag nanoparticles on cotton fabric using in-situ reduction technology (ZIF-8/67-Ag@CCT). Subsequent dip-coating with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) produced ZIF-8/67-Ag@CCT@PDMS, enhancing superhydrophobicity. The modified fabric exhibited exceptional superhydrophobicity (water contact angle: 148.55 ± 0.21°) and UV-blocking capabilities (UPF value: 186). The surface demonstrated excellent self-cleaning properties against dyes and maintained robust stability after 30 washing cycles and immersion in acidic/alkaline solutions (>97.0% antibacterial efficacy retention). Critically, the fabric exhibited excellent biocompatibility, as validated by human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived skin organoid assays showing no adverse effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, or survival rates. Antibacterial effects originated from the penetration of AgNPs and Ag⁺/Zn²⁺/Co²⁺ ions into bacterial structures, disrupting metabolism via reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The multifunctional ZIF-8/67-Ag@CCT@PDMS fabric presents a highly promising solution for durable antibacterial medical textiles, offering combined antibacterial activity, exceptional stability, self-cleaning, UV resistance, and biocompatibility.