Influence of 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid concentration on in situ synthesis of CuO/Cu2O nanoparticles on cotton and viscose rayon fabrics

Abstract

This study discusses the possibility of in situ synthesis of Cu-based nanoparticles (NPs) on cotton and viscose rayon fabrics previously modified with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) of different concentrations, with the aim to obtain antibacterial protection. The changes in the chemical structure of the fibers caused by the modification with BTCA were assessed by FTIR spectroscopy. The higher the concentration of the applied BTCA, the larger the amounts of free carboxyl groups in both fabrics. AAS analysis showed that the samples modified with higher concentration of BTCA provided larger Cu2+-ions uptake and consequently, higher content of Cu after Cu2+-ions reduction. The presence of Cu-based NPs on the fabrics was confirmed by FESEM and EDS analyses. XRD analysis revealed that NPs appeared as a mixture of CuO and Cu2O. Synthesized NPs imparted excellent antibacterial activity to both fabrics against E. coli and S. aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus.