Antibacterial cotton fibers treated with silver nanoparticles and quaternary ammonium salts

Cotton fibers were treated chemically with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride (GTAC), a quaternary ammonium salt, and coated with silver nanoparticles/3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (3-MPTMS) to increase the antibacterial efficacy. The coating process was accomplished by soaking the cotton fibers into a GTAC solution followed by a dry-cure method, and silver colloid/3-MPTMS solution was then applied at 43 degrees C for 90min. The properties of the cotton fibers were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogravimetric analysis. SEM showed a rough surface when the cotton fibers were treated with GTAC/3-MPTMS/silver nanoparticles due to the increasing surface attachment. The existence of silver and 3-MPTMS on the cotton fibers was confirmed by XPS. The cotton fibers treated with both GTAC and silver nanoparticles showed synergistic antibacterial properties against P. aeruginosa. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.