A simple method was used to prepare curcumin/silver nanocomposite based chitosan hydrogel. In an alkaline medium, chitosan and chitosan nanocomposite hydrogels were prepared using the physical crosslinking method. The prepared hydrogels were stable for a long period at room temperature. In one step, silver nanoparticles were prepared insitu using silver nitrate solution and curcumin oxide within the hydrogel network formation. In the meantime, curcumin compound served as both a reducing and stabilizing agent. The structure and surface morphology of nanocomposite hydrogels were characterized by FTIR, SEM, and EDX analysis confirmed the formation of silver nanoparticles within the hydrogel network. Moreover, Images of TEM showed a spherical shape of silver nanoparticles with an average size of 2–10 nm within the matrix of the hydrogel. The formation mechanism of nanocomposite based hydrogel was reported. Besides that, the effect of chitosan and silver nitrate concentrations were studied. The swelling capacity of the prepared nanocomposite hydrogels was also performed at different pH of 4, 7, and 9. From the experimental results, the swelling capacity of hydrogels depends on the concentrations of chitosan and silver nitrate. The prepared composite based hydrogel exceeds a higher swelling degree than chitosan hydrogels at low pH. The antibacterial activity of the nanocomposite hydrogels was also examined; the results showed that the prepared nanocomposite hydrogels outperformed the pure chitosan hydrogels. This shows them to be a promising material for the biomedical field as a wound dressing and drug release.

Medical textiles are one of the most rapidly growing parts of the technical textiles sector in the textile industry. This work aims to investigate the medical applications of a curcumin/TiO₂ nanocomposite fabricated on the surface of cotton fabric. The cotton fabric was pretreated with three crosslinking agents, namely citric acid, 3-Chloro-2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (Quat 188) and 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS), by applying the nanocomposite to the modified cotton fabric using the pad-dry-cure method. The chemistry and morphology of the modified fabrics were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the chemical mechanism for the nanocomposite-modified fabric was reported. UV protection (UPF) and antibacterial properties against Gram-positive S. aureus and Gram-negative E. coli bacterial strains were investigated. The durability of the fabrics to 20 washing cycles was also examined. Results demonstrated that the nanocomposite-modified cotton fabric exhibited superior antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria than Gram-positive bacteria and excellent UV protection properties. Moreover, a good durability was obtained, which was possibly due to the effect of the crosslinker used. Among the three pre-modifications of the cotton fabric, Quat 188 modified fabric revealed the highest antibacterial activity compared with citric acid or GPTMS modified fabrics. This outcome suggested that the curcumin/TiO₂ nanocomposite Quat 188-modified cotton fabric could be used as a biomedical textile due to its antibacterial properties.

Silver nanoparticles were in situ prepared on the surface of linen fabric coated by graphene oxide (GO). In the meantime, the reduction of silver nitrate on the GO-coated fabric led to the synthesis of reduced graphene oxide on the fabric. Two kinds of substrate (cotton and linen) were used. Both RGO/Ag and Ag/GO nanocomposites were added on cotton and linen fabrics through a conventional “pad–dry–cure” method. The chemistry and morphology of the coated surfaces were extensively characterized using Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Resistivity measurements were used for assessing the conductivity. The UV protection properties and the photocatalytic activity of the coated fabrics against methylene blue dye were also investigated. The antibacterial activity was studied against Gram-positive S. aureus and B. subtilis and Gram-negative bacterial strains E. coli and P. aeruginosa by determining the zone of inhibition using the agar diffusion method. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been responsible for many serious hospital infections worldwide. The fabrics showed superior antibacterial activity and successfully hindered the growth of pathogenic bacterial strains. This outcome suggested that both the RGO/Ag and Ag/GO nanocomposites-coated fabrics could be potentially applied in biomaterials and biomedical fields.

Antimicrobial textiles have played an increasingly important protection role in the medical field. With this aim, Schiff bases and nanometal complexes on the cotton fabric were in situ synthesized for achieving the conventional cotton fabric’s highly efficient and durable UV protection and antibacterial properties. Herein, a new Schiff base derived from the condensation reaction of 2,4-dihyroxybenzaldehyde with p-amino aniline was synthesized. Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn complexes of the Schiff base were also prepared and characterized by UV-Vis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹HNMR, ¹³CNMR, elemental analysis, and thermal analysis. The modified cotton fabric was also characterized via X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transition electron microscope (TEM), and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX). Moreover, the microbial, UV protection, and tensile strength of the samples were investigated. The antimicrobial was studied against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and fungal strains. Modified cotton fabric exhibited highly antibacterial activity in contrast with fungal activity. These results depended on the Schiff base and the type of metal complex. The results also show that the cotton fabric modified by in situ nanometal complexes provides excellent UV protection.

We propose a method of crosslinking multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with cotton fabric. 3-Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxy silane (GPTMS) polymer was used for the stabilization and modification of the surfaces of MWCNTs. The presence of tannic acid in the finishing formulation adds a sustainable functionality to the treated surface. The formation of the GPTMS–MWCNTs nanocomposite as well as the MWCNTs–GPTMS tannic-epoxy nanocomposite on the fabric surface was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FTIR). The surface morphology and physical properties were investigated. An assessment of antibacterial activity, UV-protective properties, and electrical conductivity was performed. The post-treatment results of the MWCNTs–GPTMS nanocomposite fabric with tannic acid exhibited superior antibacterial character with the highest inhibition zones for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (26 mm, 24 mm). On the contrary, the electrical conductivity was negatively impacted. The treatment of cotton fabric with tannic acid showed a great UV-protection-factor estimation of 96.2, which was additionally improved by treatment with MWCNTs 152.1. Cotton fabric treated with cotton/GPTMS/tannic acid/MWCNTs as well as cotton/GPTMS/MWCNTs recorded the highest electrical-conductivity properties. Fabrication of MWCNTs–GPTMS/tannic-acid-nanocomposite-coated cotton fabric for durable antibacterial and UV protection with improved electrical and physical properties was successfully achieved.