Development of an Efficient Strategy for Coating TiO2 on Polyester–Cotton Fabrics for Bactericidal Applications

In this work, the bactericidal properties of TiO 2 modified polyester–cotton fabrics were studied. Fabrics were modified via dip-coating in TiO 2 suspensions irradiated by simulated sunlight. TiO 2 coated fabrics were characterized by SEM, FTIR and XPS analysis and tested as photocatalysts for the self-disinfection of E. coli . Tests were performed thrice for each modified fabric in order to determinate their stability in the reaction. Irradiated TiO 2 modified fabrics were found to be stable under the studied reaction conditions. Such a stability was correlated to chemical bonding of TiO 2 with surface (C=O)–OH functional groups from the fabrics whose formation was promoted by irradiation during dip-coating.