To prevent possible spread of nosocomial infections - HAI (Healthcare Acquired Infections) in healthcare facilities, Antibacterial textiles are developed. This carried out study has been conducted to assess the feasibility of the method of obtaining antibacterial coatings on textile materials. Specifically, the sol-gel method for synthesis of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in combination with zinc oxide nanoparticles from titanyl sulphate and zinc nitrate hexahydrate has been investigated. During the synthesis of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in combination with the zinc oxide nanoparticles, the coated textile material showed stable antibacterial properties with a suppression level ofEscherichia coliof more than 99.99%. The method has been tested on a semi-industrial scale in roll-to-roll experimentby applying homogenous coatings at a speed of 1,5 m per minute.

Although water contamination with drug residues is a threat to public health, there are currently barely any effective methods of purifying water from pharmaceutical substances. In this study, continuous-flow sonoplasma treatment was used for the complete degradation of tetracycline and ciprofloxacin in polluted municipal water. The addition of CeO₂ nanoparticles as catalysts significantly increased the degradation rate of the antibiotics, and a degradation degree of 70% was achieved. The presence of reactive oxygen species in the CeO₂-nanoparticle-containing sonoplasma-treated system was experimentally proven for the first time using the chemiluminescence technique.

This paper reports the results of the large-scale field testing of composite materials with antibacterial properties in a tropical climate. The composite materials, based on a cotton fabric with a coating of metal oxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ and/or ZnO), were produced using high-power ultrasonic treatment. The antibacterial properties of the materials were studied in laboratory tests on solid and liquid nutrient media using bacteria of different taxonomic groups (Escherichia coli, Chromobacterium violaceum, Pseudomonas chlororaphis). On solid media, the coatings were able to achieve a >50% decrease in the number of bacteria. The field tests were carried out in a tropical climate, at the Climate test station “Hoa Lac” (Hanoi city, Vietnam). The composite materials demonstrated long-term antibacterial activity in the tropical climate: the number of microorganisms remained within the range of 1–3% in comparison with the control sample for the duration of the experiment (3 months). Ten of the microorganisms that most frequently occurred on the surface of the coated textiles were identified. The bacteria were harmless, while the fungi were pathogenic and contributed to fabric deterioration. Tensile strength deterioration was also studied, with the fabrics coated with metal oxides demonstrating a better preservation of their mechanical characteristics over time, (there was a 42% tensile strength decrease for the reference non-coated sample and a 21% decrease for the sample with a ZnO + CTAB coating).

Flexible materials, such as fabric, paper and plastic, with nanoscale particles that possess antimicrobial properties have a significant potential for the use in the healthcare sector and many other areas. The development of new antimicrobial coating formulations is an urgent topic, as such materials could reduce the risk of infection in hospitals and everyday life. To select the optimal composition, a comprehensive analysis that takes into account all the advantages and disadvantages in each specific case must be performed. In this study, we obtained an antimicrobial textile with a 100% suppression of E. coli on its surface. These CeO₂ nanocoatings exhibit low toxicity, are easy to manufacture and have a high level of antimicrobial properties even at very low CeO₂ concentrations. High-power ultrasonic treatment was used to coat the surface of cotton fabric with CeO₂ nanoparticles.

The increasing pollution of water bodies, due to the constant release of highly toxic and non-biodegradable organic pollutants, requires innovative solutions for environmental remediation and wastewater treatment. In this study, the effectiveness of different Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) for the purification of water contaminated with Rhodamine B (RhB) dye at a concentration of 5 mg/L were investigated and compared. Using the classical ozonation strategy as a benchmark treatment, the research showed over 99% degradation of RhB within 4 min in a laboratory-scale batch setup with a capacity of 0.2 L. In contrast, a “chemical-free” process exploiting ultrasound (US) technology achieved a 72% degradation rate within 60 min. Further experiments were conducted using a pilot-scale rotor-stator hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) reactor on a 15 L solution leading to 33% of RhB removal in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) at 75 mg/L. However, the use of an innovative cavitational reactor, which hybridizes HC with cold plasma, showed remarkable efficiency and achieved 97% degradation of RhB in just 5 min when treating a 5 L solution at an inlet pressure of 20 bar in a loop configuration. In addition, a degradation rate of 58% was observed in a flow-through configuration, emphasising the robustness and scalability of the HC/electrical discharge (ED) plasma technology. These results underline the potential of hybrid HC/ED plasma technology as an intensified and scalable process for the purification of water, as it offers a catalyst- and oxidant-free protocol.