Durable Thermoregulating, Antibacterial, and UV Protective Smart Cotton Embedded with Polyethylene Glycol and BaTiO3

The phase change material (PCM) polyethylene glycol (PEG) and ferroelectric material barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles were added to a stock paste to form a pigment-binder formulation. The resultant mixture was then directly screen printed onto cotton fabric. The coated cotton was characterized by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV spectrophotometry. The thermoregulating capabilities of both pristine and coated cotton samples were investigated with the use of a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). For the 100th heating and cooling cycles, the melting and crystallizing enthalpies of modified cotton were found to be 23 J/g and 21 J/g, respectively. Against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, the modified fabric showed a bacterial reduction of more than 99%. After 20 washing cycles, the bacteria growth was effectively suppressed by more than 91%. The coated fabric showed a UV absorption peak around 300-330 nm, capable of blocking harmful UV rays. The modification of cotton did not change its intrinsic properties such as breathability and its mechanical properties. The finished product has tremendous opportunities and offers an excellent replacement for conventional garments for applications in medical textiles and daily wear garments.