Eco-friendly and Durable Antibacterial Cotton Fabrics Prepared with Polysulfopropylbetaine

A novel antibacterial agent polysulfopropylbetaine (PSPB) bearing carboxyl groups was synthesized and its application on cotton fabric to provide durable antibacterial property was also presented. The successful synthesis of PSPB and its immobilization onto the cotton fabric surface were verified by a series of tests including FTIR, 1 H NMR, XPS and SEM. Viable cell counting method was employed to investigate antibacterial properties of the finished cotton fabrics. It was found that the cotton fabrics treated with PSPB were endowed with desirable antibacterial activity against both gram-negative bacteria Esherichia coli ( E.coli , AATCC 6538) and gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus ( S.aureus , AATCC 25922), with the bacterisotatic rates of 99.69 % and 99.95 %, respectively. Notably, the bacterial reduction rates still maintained over 90 % against both bacteria even after 50 consecutive laundering cycles. Moreover, tests concerning the hydrophilicity, air permeability, water vapor transmission, mechanical properties as well as thermal properties were carried out systematically. The experimental results indicated the hydrophilic performance, air permeability and moisture penetrability of the cotton fabrics finished with PSPB were improved greatly in spite of a slight reduction in thermal performance and little obvious influence on mechanical performance. The antibacterial cotton fabric has the potential to be applied in sportswear, underwear, household textiles, medical fields and much more.