Antimicrobial Cellulose Modified with Nanotitania and Cyclic N-Halamine

Organic-inorganic composites have the drawn attention of researchers due to their combined properties. In this work, poly[5,5-dimethyl-3-(3'-triethoxysilylpropyl)hydantoin] (PSPH) was synthesized and coated onto cotton fibers together with titania nanoparticles (TiO2) by chemical binding in a one-bath process. The treated cotton with improved UV stability can produce biocidal properties against S. aureus (ATCC 6538) and E. coli O157:H7 (ATCC 43895) upon chlorination with diluted sodium hypochlorite solutions. The characteristics of the coated cotton were determined by SEM, FTIR, XRD, and XPS, and the washing stability and antibacterial efficacies were tested. Moreover, the N-Cl bond and compound stability under UV irradiation were measured. It was found that the treated cotton showed excellent antimicrobial properties within a brief contact time and great washing stability. The N-Cl bond and compound itself showed excellent stability under UV light irradiation.